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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23496817">Better the Devil You Didn't Know</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilentSound715/pseuds/SilentSound715'>SilentSound715</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Supernatural</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Binding magic, British Men of Letters, Broken Wings, Damaged Psyche, Depowered Lucifer, Hurt Lucifer, Hurt/Comfort, I changed some things to suit my needs for the story, Lucifer Redemption (Supernatural), Lucifer whump, Lucifer's past, More characters to be added later, Redemption, Slightly AU lore, Tortured Lucifer, Wings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 10:07:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>42,896</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23496817</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilentSound715/pseuds/SilentSound715</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Canon up to 12x15 - Crowley has effectively bound and broken the Devil. Bored, he gives him to the one other person on Earth who hates the Devil as much as he does - Sam Winchester. </p>
<p>Sam wants to hate Lucifer, but this broken thing in the dungeon is nothing like the Lucifer he remembers. And as more details come to light, the hunter finds himself re-evaluating everything he's ever known about the fallen archangel.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>132</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. I Don't Like to Play with Broken Toys</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Canon up to 12x15 and major divergence after that, with some AU lore and background. Some of the background info, characters’ motivations, and lore will be changed to suit the needs of my story. </p>
<p>Let me know what you think!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Through the bars along the top of the door, a blackness permeated the room beyond. Dark shadows reached out and covered all corners of the room. It was impossible to tell how large the room was in the dark, but one could assume it wasn’t too large, as an echoing sound resonated quietly from within. Shuddering breaths and the occasional clink of chains could be heard. It was impossible to tell where the noise emanated from, between the dark and the echoes, it could have come from any corner, or even the center of the room.</p><p>Footsteps echoed along the corridor leading up to the grimy steel door. A sharp intake of breath, followed by deafening quiet came from the room. The sudden appearance of glowing red eyes would have startled any man looking into the room. The creature now peering into the room however, was unfazed. It wore the guise of a stout man; black suit impeccably arranged, and hands clasped behind his back.</p><p>“Hello slave. How are we feeling this evening?” A strong accent accompanied the words.</p><p>From within the room, chains clanked against each other briefly before falling silent again. The eyes disappeared.</p><p>The master stood patiently, eyes fixed on a spot in the room apparently only he could see. After a moment, heavy breathing started up and the red eyes flashed to make contact briefly with the master before disappearing once again. If one had exceptional hearing, the faintest sound of trembling chain links could be heard.</p><p>“What? Cat has your tongue? No more snark? What happened to all that bravado? I find myself almost missing it.”</p><p>The man snapped his fingers and a crack followed by a high pitched whine came from the room. “Answer me slave.”</p><p>Suddenly, dim light flooded the room. In the center lay another creature. This one also wore the guise of a man; had he been standing, he would have been tall with messy blonde hair. He wore a shirt that at one time may have been described as green but was now stained dark brown. It was in tatters, strips missing from the back and hanging loosely on the thin frame. Ratty jeans covered his legs and his feet were bare.</p><p>A metal collar encircled his neck and a chain led from it to the floor where is was bolted to the ground in the center of the room. It was barely long enough to allow the apparent slave to lift his head from a kneeling position. More shackles circled his wrists and were connected together with a very short chain in front of him. They were attached to another chain that circled his waist, forcing his hands to remain at his side. He was sitting in a half kneeling, half crouching position, simultaneously posed to hide and flee. With the lights on, one could see that the creature was in fact trembling slightly. He had his head down, chin tucked into his chest and he was eyeing the master from the corner of his eye.</p><p>The door slammed open. A violent flinch from the man attached to the floor immediately followed. The well dressed man stepped through the door and turned to close it. He slid a small door across the bars, blocking the view of the room from the hallway. He faced the other man and took a few steps forward.</p><p>The slave fell backwards and tried to scoot back but was stopped short when the chain around his neck pulled tight. The master stepped up to him and grabbed his hair, pulling it back violently. As the slaves face was turned up, a leather mask could be seen. It was fixed tightly across the nose and under his chin; a small slit allowed air to be taken in through the nose. It was held in place with two thick straps that went under his ears behind his head and one strap that came between his eyes and bisected his forehead. The three attached in the back with an intricate knot.</p><p>“Ah that’s right, can’t speak with this little device. I do miss the sound of ‘master Crowley’ coming from you, but there’s just something so satisfying about shutting that incessant mouth up forcefully.” The man, now revealed the be Crowley, current King of Hell, continued, “I told you Lucifer, I’m always 10 steps ahead.”</p><p>He forcefully pushed the slave, now revealed to be Lucifer, fallen archangel and the devil himself, causing him to fall onto his side. A muffled yelp escaped his throat as he fell on his shoulder; the cracking noise from moments before was Crowley breaking his collar bone with a snap of his fingers. Lucifer pressed his forehead into the ground and screwed his eyes shut.</p><p>Crowley sighed and said, “I’ve grown tired of you. It’s no fun to play with a broken toy.”</p><p>As he said this, the demon came forward and slammed his foot into the fallen archangels side, causing him to groan lowly. Through the slits in the tattered shirt, one could see dark bruises scattered across Lucifer’s torso.</p><p>“Normally I’d just kill you, but I think I’ve thought of something more poetic.” Crowley crouched down and grabbed Lucifer’s hair again, forcing him to meet the masters eyes. “I think I’ll give you to your old friends, the Winchester’s. You remember, yes? Tried to kill them, wear Moose to the prom and all that? I think they may like a turn with you.”</p><p>Lucifer swallowed thickly as his eyes widened. Fear and pain had been in his eyes before but now, they were slowly filling with horrified realization of what this would mean for him.</p><p>Crowley let him go and with a snap of his fingers the chain that had been holding Lucifer in the center of the room was in the King of Hell’s hands. He stood back up, yanking the fallen archangel to his knees and said, “let’s be off then, shall we?”</p><p>With another snap of his fingers, both creatures disappeared from the room, leaving only the bloody stains of the devil’s torture behind.</p><p>XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX</p><p>Sam and Dean were sitting at the tables in the main room of the bunker. A beer was in Dean’s hand and he languidly took a sip as he flipped through a book on angel lore. He was looking for anything on nephilim. Sam had a glass of water in front of him, it was just barely noon after all, and was scanning his laptop for similar information. Both hunters jumped as they heard a very familiar voice fill the room, “Hello boys.”</p><p>The hunters stood and whipped around. Both were speechless as they saw what Crowley had brought with him. The King of Hell himself looked as he always did, but beside him kneeled what looked like Lucifer’s old vessel, Nick. His head was down, shielding his face from the brothers. A chain was attached to a collar around his neck. One end was wrapped around Crowley’s hand and he pulled it tight, causing the collar around the mans neck to start choking him. “I’ve brought you a little present.”</p><p>Crowley released the chain and as the man slumped over, the demon pushed his foot into the man’s back, forcing him violently to the ground and pinning him there. The Winchester’s heard a muffled yelp and Sam winced as he watched the man slam face first into their floor.</p><p>Dean narrowed his eyes and focused on Crowley, “what the hell is that? That better not be who I think it is!”</p><p>“Relax squirrel. Yes this is Lucifer. See, he humiliated me and I couldn’t let that stand. So as mummy dearest finished her spell to send him back to the cage, I made a slight adjustment. Sent him into his old vessel, but with a few modifications,” Crowley explained.</p><p>Sam spoke up, but was still warily eyeing the devil, “what do you mean, modifications?”</p><p>Crowley continued, “I’ve had demons studying the cage for a while now. I’ve modified this vessel to contain warding and spell work from the cage inside every single molecule. It’s become his new prison. And with a few more additions, I’ve made it so he’s at my complete mercy.” As he finished, he lifted his foot from the devil’s back and snapped his fingers. Lucifer screamed and curled in on himself. This continued for a few more seconds and then Crowley snapped again. Lucifer stopped screaming and the hunters could hear him breathing heavily from where he lay bonelessly on the floor.</p><p>“See, completely harmless.”</p><p>Sam and Dean openly stared at the scene before them. They couldn’t believe what they were seeing. First and foremost, the devil was supposed to be in his cage. That he wasn’t was disconcerting enough but to see him in the state he was in now wasn’t something either brother had ever imagined. Lucifer had always been so powerful and self assured. He made snarky comments and ruthlessly tore through anyone who got in his way. This shivering, whimpering mass on the floor couldn’t possibly be the devil. To Sam, he looked every bit a fallen angel and not the devil at this moment.</p><p>Crowley turned to look at Sam, “Now as for the reason I’m here. Like I said, I’ve brought you a present. I don’t really like playing with broken toys and I thought to myself, ‘who would also like revenge on the devil?’ And I immediately thought of you, Moose. You spent some time in the cage with him, I’m sure you could come up with some creative punishments. So as a gesture of good will, I’ll hand over full control of our favorite former archangel as long as you promise to keep him contained.”</p><p>Dean gawked at Crowley, hardly believing what he was hearing. Sam hadn’t stopped staring at Lucifer, but when Crowley finished he looked up and locked eyes with the demon. Sam took a deep breath and said, “fine.”</p><p>“What!?” Dean exclaimed from where he was standing. He strode over to Sam, “what are you thinking? We are not babysitting the freakin’ devil!”</p><p>Sam shot a glance at his brother, “excuse us for a moment Crowley.” He grabbed his brother and pulled him to the other side of the room.</p><p>“Dean, think about it. Right now, we don’t have a way to put Lucifer back in his cage. And Crowley has an archangel at his service. I’d rather have Lucifer with us than him, don’t you think?”</p><p>Dean mulled it over for a moment before begrudgingly saying, “ya alright fine; but he’s staying locked up.”</p><p>Sam nodded in agreement and they walked back over to the King of Hell. While they’d been speaking, he’d pulled Lucifer up into a kneeling position and had the chain pulled tight around his neck, forcing his head back. Sam blinked in astonishment when he saw the mask over Lucifer’s face. He tried to make eye contact with the archangel but Lucifer was refusing to look at anyone, though Sam could see a dull resignation he’d never seen before in Lucifer’s eyes.</p><p>“So boys, what do we say? Do we have a deal?”</p><p>Sam replies, “yes. I will accept control of Lucifer.”</p><p>Crowley exclaimed, “excellent! We can get the ritual started right away. It’s quite easy actually, though both parties have to be willing participants.”</p><p>He yanked Lucifer up and said, “stand, now.” Slowly, Lucifer climber to his feet, but still refused to acknowledge the two hunters in the room. Crowley produced a key from his suit pocket and reached down to unlock Lucifer’s left arm. He pulled the arm back straight behind Lucifer and forced his upper body down onto one of the tables in the room, effectively trapping him in place. He then grabbed a knife from his coat and held it over the archangel’s wrist. “Come over here Sam, and I’m assuming you’ve a knife on you?”</p><p>Sam walked over with Dean close behind, “ya.” He pulled a small pocket knife from his boot.</p><p>“To complete the ritual, you’ve got to mix your blood into his as I say the spell in Enochian. Cut your hand and as I slit his arm, let the your blood drip over the cut.”</p><p>Sam nodded and went to cut his hand. At that moment, Lucifer reared up and tried to throw Crowley off of him. He’d gone from complacent to panicked in a few short seconds and both hunters flinched back at the sudden outburst. Crowley calmly let go of Lucifer and snapped his fingers. A loud crunching noise was heard and Lucifer dropped like a rock to the floor. He groaned in pain and gripped his left knee. Tiny pained noises reached the hunters’ ears as they stared in shock at Lucifer. “What did you do?” Sam asked.</p><p>“I broke his knee. This vessel is really quite responsive to any command I give it. And because it’s his permanent vessel now, he feels everything as if it was his real body. You’ll have the same power over him after this.” Crowley crouched down next to the fallen archangel and gripped his hair, wrenching Lucifer’s head back. “I thought I’d knocked all the fight out of you. Good to see Moose here has a little spirit left to play with. Now be a good little devil and stop squirming or I’ll be forced to take more drastic actions. Have I made myself clear, slave?”</p><p>To the hunters shock, Lucifer gave a small nod and whimpered when Crowley released him. “Stand up and stop making such a fuss.”</p><p>Lucifer shakily pulled his arm under him and attempted to push himself up. He was holding his broken leg at an odd angle and collapsed when he was halfway up, unable to rise. He lay breathing heavily on the floor. His eyes darted quickly to Crowley, and then for the first time, to Sam before looking at the floor again.</p><p>Feeling uncharacteristic sympathy for the devil, Sam reach down and pulled him to his feet. Lucifer flinched as Sam’s hand wrapped around his arm but he allowed the tall hunter to help him up. Sam released him once he was steady and stepped back.</p><p>Without a word at the display, Crowley reached down and unlocked Lucifer’s other arm. He pushed Lucifer back on his stomach and held his right arm out above him. From seemingly nowhere, the King of Hell produced an angel blade and stabbed Lucifer’s arm, pinning it to the table. A muffled scream escaped the fallen archangel as he lay trembling on the table, trying desperately to keep his wounded leg under him to support his weight and stop his body from pulling at the blade lodged in his forearm. Crowley stepped behind him and gripped the left arm, yanking it behind him again, “that’s just in case you were thinking of being uncooperative again. Don’t move.”</p><p>Sam felt slightly ill at the sight before him. While he had no love for Lucifer, there was something extremely disconcerting about seeing such a powerful creature in such a state. Not unlike watching a once proud lion in a circus act.</p><p>Crowley gripped his knife once again, a wicked looking blade, and pressed it to the inside of Lucifer’s wrist. He dug deep and then slowly pulled it back towards the devil’s elbow. Without looking up he said, “cut your hand and let the blood drip over the wound.”</p><p>Sam stepped forward and quickly cut his palm. He clenched his fist and as the blood dripped down, he moved it over Lucifer’s arm. As soon as the first drop of blood hit Lucifer’s arm, Crowley started to chant something in Enochian. As he continued and as Sam’s blood dripped over the wound, steam rose and the cut began to seal where Sam’s blood made contact. When he got to the inside of the elbow, Crowley moved away and allowed Sam to finish sealing the cut he’d made. The whole time, Lucifer was silent, head pressed to the table and tense. As soon as the wound was sealed, Crowley let go and Lucifer took a strangled breath and almost collapsed. He forced his legs under himself again and gripped the table with his left hand as the blade in his right arm tugged harshly.</p><p>“Have fun boys. You know how to reach me if necessary.” And with that Crowley disappeared, leaving behind a pitiful slave with his new master.</p><p>The brothers stared at each other for a moment before turning back to look at the struggling archangel. He was still half draped over the table, pinned there by his arm, which was slowly leaking blood across the table. His face was pressed into the wood and a thin sheen of sweat coated his body. Sam observed the archangel closely for the first time since Crowley had appeared. Sam could see welts and scars criss crossing Lucifer’s skin beneath the ruined shirt, and dark brown stains that could have only been blood dyed the shirt. His feet were bare and covered in small cuts and blisters. Jeans hung off the archangels frame; he was thinner than the last time the hunter had seen him.</p><p>Clearing his throat uncomfortably, Sam stepped forward and leaned over Lucifer to grip the angel blade. The devil whimpered softly as he felt someone come up behind him, and tensed when he felt a large hand on the small of his back. As Sam yanked the blade free, Lucifer yelped and would have slid to the floor had Sam not been holding him in place.</p><p>As Sam stepped back, he reached forward to take Lucifer’s upper arm, but as he did so, the archangel slipped past him and ended up on the floor a couple feet away. He sat and gripped his still bleeding arm and stared with wide eyes at the hunter.</p><p>Sam spun quickly as he heard Dean move from behind him. The older hunter strode forward quickly, a hard look on his face. He lunged down to grab one of Lucifer’s chains dangling from his wrists, but as he leaned down, the archangel swept his hand out in front of himself, throwing Dean across the room with his power.</p><p>“Dean!” Sam yelled and took a step towards his brother. Hearing his brother groan and start moving, Sam turned back towards Lucifer. He flinched at the noise the chairs made as they scrapped across the floor; the archangel had scooted back quickly under the table and had pushed several chairs roughly out of the way in his haste. Startled, Sam warily walked closer, ducking down to catch a glimpse of the archangel hiding under the table. He almost couldn’t process what he was seeing. Here was Lucifer, the devil, cowering under a table, head hidden in his knee, the other broken leg stretched awkwardly in front of him.</p><p>It was at that moment Castiel decided to make an appearance. The front door creaked as he opened it and stepped through. Sam glanced up at the banister as the angel popped his head over. His mouth was open as if he were about to speak but then his brow creased in concern as he saw Dean slowly getting up from across the room. Suddenly, Castiel was by Dean’s side, helping him up. “What happened? Are you alright?”</p><p>Dean coughed and then gestured vaguely at his brother and Lucifer, who had curled up even further under the table. Castiel looked startled, eyes going wide as he looked from Sam to the devil. “Sam, what’s going on? Why is Lucifer here? Are you hurt?”</p><p>After making sure Dean was steady on his feet, Castiel strode forward, drawing his angel blade as he did. At the noise of the blade unsheathing, Lucifer looked up and realized what was happening. He came out from under the table opposite the three men and lunged for one of the bookcases. As he did so he threw his uninjured arm out again and pushed Castiel backwards, causing the angel to fall into Dean and pushing them both to the floor. </p><p>If the situation hadn’t been so dire, Sam probably would have laughed at the scene. However, the fact that the devil still seemed to have some of his powers available to him was extremely troubling. Sam looked to where Lucifer was attempting to scoot behind a bookcase and raised his arm towards him. “Stop!”</p><p>Immediately, Lucifer stopped moving, almost as if he was frozen in place, half hidden behind the books. The hunter said, “come here,” with an icy, strong tone. As he spoke, he unconsciously pulled his hand back towards himself. Before he knew what was happening, Lucifer was yanked forward and crashed into the table between him and Sam. Shocked, Sam looked from the heap Lucifer now lay in to Dean and Castiel, who had finally managed to untangle themselves and were now staring at the scene before them. </p><p>“How’d you do that Sammy?” Dean asked. To him, it looked a lot like that telekinetic shit demons pulled on them occasionally. </p><p>“I… I’m not sure. Crowley was apparently able to control Lucifer, maybe it has something to do with that? He did say I’d have full control. Maybe he meant literally.” Sam stepped up to where the devil lay on the floor. He had been thrown into the side of the table, pushing it back several feet and was now laying on his side half under it. Sam pushed the table out of the way and crouched down near Lucifer’s side. The archangel was laying with his back to Sam, injured leg and arm drawn in close to his body and eyes screwed shut. It seemed like he was holding his breath. </p><p>Castiel spoke up, sounding aggravated, “will somebody please tell me what’s going on? Why is Lucifer here? And Crowley came by?”</p><p>Dean answered, “Ya he showed up out of nowhere with the freaking devil in tow and said something about having trapped Lucifer in this vessel with spell work from the cage. And apparently he had ‘total control’ over him, whatever that means. He offered to turn him over to Sammy and did some sort of ritual that apparently made Sam the new boss or something.”</p><p>During the explanation, Sam had reached down and taken Lucifer’s left arm in his hand. As he did so, the archangel flinched and tried to pull the arm back. His eyes had snapped open and he was staring at the hunter with wide eyes. Sam could have sworn he saw terror in the devil’s eyes, but that was so absurd, he dismissed it as a trick of the light. With a quiet command of, “stop it, let me see,” Lucifer released the tension from his arm, letting Sam to pull it back towards himself. Sam barely registered the trembling body before him as he looked at the markings now covering the inside of Lucifer’s arm. </p><p>“Castiel, can you come take a look at this for me? I think it’s in Enochian,” Sam said. Looking between the two hunters, Castiel shook his head before sighing heavily and walking over to Sam. He muttered to himself something that sounded suspiciously like, “I leave for a few days and look what they’ve gotten themselves into.” He leaned down to get a look at what Sam was talking about. </p><p>Markings had appeared over the ugly scar now marring the skin of Lucifer’s inner forearm. Black and jagged, the marks seemed to be Enochian words. Castiel studied them for a few moments before saying, “this is Enochian. It says something along the lines of ‘the one bound to this vessel shall be a slave to the master.’ it also has your name, Sam. But I don’t understand, ‘the one bound to this vessel’… it doesn’t say Lucifer. It says Samael.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I apologize for any grammar errors; I edit these myself. If you see anything glaringly obvious in the work, let me know and I'll correct it. Reviews are appreciated!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Who Was Samael?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sam stood and said, “what do you mean ‘Samael’?”</p>
<p>Castiel furrowed his brow and said, “well it doesn't translate to ‘Lucifer.’ The best I can come up with is Samael but I don’t know why that name would appear here, Samael has been gone for millennia. Since before even I was created.”</p>
<p>Suddenly, all three noticed that Lucifer had gone deathly still; he wasn’t even breathing. His eyes were tightly closed and his fists were clenched so hard that blood seeped from between his fingers. </p>
<p>Dean moved to stand beside Castiel and said, “looks like Lucifer here may have an idea why it says Samael.” He reached up with his foot and turned Lucifer onto his back, planting his foot on his sternum. The older Winchester began pressing down hard, not enough to break anything but painfully enough that Lucifer whined quietly. “You know what this means, don’t you?”</p>
<p>Shaking his head quickly, Lucifer silently denied everything. However, none of them believed the Prince of Lies for a moment, not after his initial reaction. Dean lifted his foot and turned to look at his brother and Castiel. </p>
<p>Sam crouched down next to Lucifer once again and with a flick of his wrist and newly discovered telekinetic power over the devil, had the archangel flipped around so that he now lay on his stomach. Lucifer grunted at the rapid position change and moved to pull his arm under himself to raise himself up but was stopped short as Sam pressed his hand between his shoulder blades. Using his other hand, Sam started pulling at the bands wrapped around Lucifer’s head, trying to get the muzzle off so that Lucifer could speak. After a few moments, he realized that the pulling was useless and that the muzzle would need to be cut off. He held his hand out to Dean and his brother handed him one of the knives he kept on his person. Sam carefully slipped the knife under the leather strap and started sawing back and forth. Lucifer flinched as the cold metal first slipped close to his skin under the muzzle but stayed relatively still through the process aside from the continued trembling. Eventually, the leather gave way and the muzzle was able to be pulled over Lucifer’s head. </p>
<p>Sam inhaled quietly at the sight of the skin under the mask. Dark bruising, almost black, ran along Lucifer’s jaw, and the skin was rubbed raw in several places. It looked like someone had run him over with a truck. As Lucifer tentatively flexed his jaw, Sam winced when he heard the joint grind together. There was obviously some internal damage. His nose was discolored as well and slightly askew; probably broken. </p>
<p>Quietly, Sam asked, “can you heal that?”</p>
<p>Startled, Lucifer twisted his head to look more fully at his new master. Tentatively, the archangel nodded his head slightly. </p>
<p>Sam watched as Lucifer’s throat worked for a moment. He opened his mouth to speak but a rasping gasp was all that came out before he started coughing violently. The hunter jerked backwards and stood up as the archangel’s whole body convulsed from the strength of his coughs. Lucifer curled in on himself and looked as though he was desperately trying to control the painful sounding cough. </p>
<p>Sam turned to Castiel and Dean, who were both staring wide eyed at the devil. “Cas, is there something you can do for him? We won’t get any answers out of him if he can’t talk.” </p>
<p>Nodding, Castiel said, “I’ll see what I can do.” Castiel stepped up and crouch next to Lucifer, who had finally stopped coughing and was laying exhausted on the ground. The younger angel touched his fingers to Lucifer’s forehead and his eyes closed in concentration. After a few moments, a soft glow came from Castiel’s finger tips and the bruising around Lucifer’s face cleared up. </p>
<p>As the light faded, the boys noticed that Lucifer’s eyes had remained closed during the process and that he was still trembling slightly, though appeared more relaxed than he had moments before. Castiel stood and faced the hunters, “I’ve healed the bruising on his face and in his throat. He should be able to speak now. He has several other injuries but I did not want to waste more time or energy now.”</p>
<p>The archangel lay on his right side, panting. He was holding his right arm, the one injured by the angel blade, up to his chest; his left was crossed protectively in front of it. His left leg was awkwardly extended, obviously still broken and his right was drawn up. Every few seconds, a violent trembling shook his body. His eyes were half shut and staring vacantly in front of him. </p>
<p>As Sam crouched down next to Lucifer, his eyes snapped open and he stared warily at the hunter looming behind him. Sam gripped his arm and hauled him to his feet. “Come on, get up,” he said coldly. </p>
<p>Dean had dragged a chair over and held it steady as Sam dumped Lucifer into it. Castiel hovered nearby, angel blade back on display and watching the devil’s every move. Lucifer’s eyes shifted quickly between the three before settling on his hands now folded in his lap. </p>
<p>Sam dragged another chair over and turned it around in front of Lucifer, straddling the back of it and settling to face the archangel. He shared a look with his brother and Castiel. He focused a hard look on Lucifer then said, “alright it’s time for some answers. First of all, quit the injured victim routine, it’s not a good look on you.”</p>
<p>If it was possible for Lucifer to curl in any further on himself as Sam talked, he managed it. His trembling became more pronounced, though he clenched his fists and jaw in an attempt to stop it. </p>
<p>Raising a brow, Sam gave Lucifer an unimpressed look and continued. “Why is the name Samael written on your arm?”</p>
<p>No one in the room missed the violent flinch when Sam said the name. The chains around his neck and wrists rattled with the movement before falling silent again. Lucifer refused to look up and after a moment, Sam nodded at Castiel. The angel took a step forward and gripped Lucifer’s hair, pulling it back aggressively and pressing the angel blade to his throat threateningly. </p>
<p>So quietly that they almost missed it, Lucifer stuttered, “It… it was my name. From b… before I f… fell.”</p>
<p>Castiel relaxed his grip on Lucifer’s hair for a moment in shock before he gathered himself and pulled the archangels’s head back farther; the tip of his blade drew blood along his throat. “You’re lying! Samael was the Angel of Death. He was one of the most trusted of all God’s angels. He died long ago.”</p>
<p>Sam and Dean watched the exchange silently, allowing Castiel to get answer’s from the devil. </p>
<p>“It’s true. That was me. Before I… I took the Mark,” Lucifer said. </p>
<p>Castiel changed his grip on the blade and drove it into Lucifer’s shoulder. The archangel screamed and thrashed weakly in the chair, almost falling off. Castiel spoke icily into his ear, “tell me the truth. God gave Lucifer, you, the Mark, not Samael.”</p>
<p>A tear made a track through the blood and grime on Lucifer’s face and he choked out, “it’s the truth! After Dad gave me the Mark, he gave me a new name. Something about a new roll and a new name.” Castiel had released his grip on Lucifer and as the archangel finished speaking, he yanked the angel blade free. Lucifer groaned in pain and lifted his hand to press into the wound. </p>
<p>Sam looked between Castiel and Dean. Both appeared wary but at Dean’s shoulder shrug, Sam said, “fine, so before you took the Mark, you were the Angel of Death? Like what, the original Grim Reaper or something?”</p>
<p>Lucifer grit his teeth and focused on Sam, “wrong. But I wouldn’t expect you to understand.” The words were said without any venom or sarcasm, just what appeared to be genuine exhaustion. </p>
<p>Castiel spoke up, “Sam, I’m not certain I believe him, but I don’t see another explanation for why that name would appear on his arm, in conjunction with a spell meant to bind him to you.”</p>
<p>“We can look into it more later I suppose. But speaking of, how do you have your powers? I thought the spell bound you,” Sam said, redirecting his attention back to Lucifer. </p>
<p>Lucifer clenched his jaw and deliberately turned his face away from the hunter to stare at something off to his left. </p>
<p>With as much force as he could muster, Sam said, “tell me. How do you still have your powers.”</p>
<p>With a choked breath, Lucifer turned back around and eyed Sam. He snapped jaw shut and shook his head  slowly back and forth before finally releasing a pained gasp and saying, “I have access to what you haven’t deliberately blocked from me.” He snapped his mouth closed as he finished and grimaced at Sam before returning his gaze to his lap. </p>
<p>“Apparently he has to answer you, Sammy,” Dean observed from where he was leaning against the wooden table. </p>
<p>Sam nodded slowly and said forcefully, “explain. And while you’re at it fill me in on everything you know involving this bond.”</p>
<p>Snapping his head up to meet Sam’s eyes, Lucifer seemed to panic for a moment. His breathing picked up again. After a few moments he finally spoke. “Crowley’s orders still stand, but he left me access to some of my powers. I think he got off on watching me try to use them and then forcefully shutting them down. Telekineses is about all I can do right now; that and my strength. But I can’t hurt the master, I can’t heal myself, teleport, or try to escape.” Lucifer took a shuttering breath before continuing, hands clenched so tightly that his knuckles were white; “you’re the master now and as the slave (at this his voice shook), you haven’t told me that I’m forbidden from accessing my powers left to me. You also have control over my physical body as you’ve accidentally discovered. You saw Crowley break my knee with a snap of his fingers, and you, yourself threw me into the table. The master directs it with his thoughts and intentions along with hand motions in some cases. The stronger you speak or think or move your body, the stronger the order becomes.” As he was speaking, his voice became more and more strained, and by the time he was done, sweat had broken out across his body. He slumped over in his seat and pressed the side of his face into the back of the chair, refusing to make eye contact with his master. </p>
<p>Sam sat silently as he processed what Lucifer had said. Everything seemed to add up, and he couldn't think of a reason why Lucifer would tell him just how much power he had over him unless the archangel had really been forced to tell by Sam’s own command. Realizing that he needed to take control of the situation, Sam stood up and walked to stand in front of Lucifer. </p>
<p>“Look at me,” Sam said. When the archangel was warily looking at the hunter, he continued, slowly and deliberately, putting as much feeling behind his words as he could. “You will not harm Dean, or Castiel, or any guest that comes to the bunker. You will follow Dean and Castiel’s orders as though they were my own. You will stay within sight of me unless I state otherwise or leave you somewhere deliberately. You will answer all questions honestly and to the best of your abilities when asked.”</p>
<p>As Sam went through his list, Lucifer’s face became paler and paler. He was anxiously opening and closing his hands, causing the chains around his wrists to clink. His jaw clenched and he flinched slightly at the end of each order. </p>
<p>“And finally, you can’t use any of your powers unless I allow you to,” Sam finished. </p>
<p>As he said the final words, a strangled yell caught in Lucifer’s throat and he fell off the chair, collapsing to the ground as his angelic strength left him. It had been the only thing keeping him upright and semi coherent around the pain but as Sam blocked access to his strength, he fell like a rag doll to the floor. He was unconscious in moments.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Dungeon</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The first thing Lucifer noticed was how hard it was to open his eyes. His eyelids felt heavy and tired. As he began to achieve more awareness, he realized that his whole body ached. Forcing his eyes open, he noticed that he was in a dark room. Straight ahead of him was a door with a red light next to it, throwing the whole room into a red glow. He came back to full awareness and his eyes shot above his head. He was dangling from the ceiling by his wrist cuffs. Someone had taken the attached chains and locked them to a hook on the ceiling. That explained the ache radiating from a point in his shoulders. His feet just barely touched the ground. Experimentally, he flexed his foot; if he stood on his toes, the ache in his shoulders lessened. But that only lasted a moment as his knee gave out under him, still broken. The motion yanked the chains and contorted his shoulders further. Panting, Lucifer rested for a moment and took further stock of the situation. </p>
<p>The muzzle was still off, and his jaw and neck felt better than they had in weeks; a residual effect of Castiel healing him before. A small mercy in and of itself. A slight chill was in the air, making him realize that he didn’t have a shirt on. The dirty old shirt he’d been wearing was gone, along with the tattered jeans. In its place was a pair of baggy sweats, but whoever had redressed him had obviously deemed a shirt unnecessary. While it was true that the devil ran cold and not hot, it hadn’t bothered him topside until he had been put into this vessel. Because the vessel acted as the cage, the unfortunate side effects, including exposure to elements, were back with a vengeance. The cage stripped him of all his angelic strengths like resistances to temperature, pain, and hunger. He was feeling all three in the moment. Crowley had realized fairly quickly that while Lucifer would not starve to death, he did feel hunger, and the King of Hell had often delighted in keeping food from the devil for days and weeks at a time. The temperature in Crowley’s hideout hadn’t been too bad, and he’d had more clothes on then. This room in the bunker seemed particularly cold, and Lucifer shivered unconsciously. </p>
<p>Whimpering softly to himself, Lucifer looked around the room. Next to the door, there was a lever with some sort of wheel attached to it. A chain wrapped around the wheel and he followed it across the room to a point above his head. The chain he was dangling from attached to the mechanism. Otherwise the room was bare of objects. Looking at the walls and floor, Lucifer saw warding sigils and devil’s traps. There was a Seal of Solomon etched into the ground around him. While many of the seals were useless against an archangel, in his weakened state they pressed against his being and he squirmed with discomfort. Or as much as he could squirm dangling from the ceiling. </p>
<p>He felt pathetic. Ashamed at his cowering in front of those thrice damned hunters, Lucifer huffed a breath in annoyance. But he knew he couldn’t help the reactions. Cowley had done an effective job of putting him in place. Hell had been awful, but the pain totally different. The cage was cold and lonely. He had been deprived of most sensations and pain was an almost constant companion. But with Crowley, there had been humiliation, torture, and psychological manipulation. Combined with the effects of being in a permanent vessel tied into every fibre of his being, Lucifer had been broken. His body could take a lot but his mind had essentially given up. The last few millennia in the cage had worn him down significantly, and this had been the final straw. </p>
<p>A grating squeak pulled his attention back to the door. For a moment, the archangel was blinded by the light from the hall beyond and he squinted his eyes against the assault. A small click resonated around the room and suddenly bright lights lit up the small space. As the room was illuminated, Lucifer saw Sam Winchester, his new master and true vessel, standing in the doorway. Lucifer instinctively flinched but was mostly unable to move in his current position. He settled for eyeing Sam warily and snapping his jaw shut.</p>
<p>“Comfortable?” Sam took a step forward and shut the door behind him. “I noticed you were awake and decided to come check up on you,” he said as he moved forward. The hunter came to a stop about two feet from Lucifer’s body. His hands were relaxed at his side, but Lucifer could see the tension in his shoulders. Slowly, he began circling Lucifer. </p>
<p>“There’s a camera in the corner; we can see everything you do in here, so good luck trying to pull anything.” The hunter came to a stop in front of the archangel again. “Castiel and I took stock of your injuries; Crowley had some fun apparently.”</p>
<p>Lucifer didn’t have to look to be reminded of the dark purple marks marring his torso. Healing whip marks covered his back and thighs. He knew at least a few ribs were broken, along with his knee and collar bone. The stab wound from the angel blade was slowly dripping blood down his arm and torso, and he could feel it running across his chest and soaking the waistband of the sweats he was wearing. The longer he hung in place, the more it felt like fire was licking its way up his body. The tension he carried from being so close to a being that had every reason in the world to torture him into insanity wasn’t helping anything. How he longed for a time when he was unaffected by pain. When he’d first been released top side, such trivial things like a punch in the gut felt like a tickle. Now, in this vessel, he felt pain like he’d felt while in the cage, the spell work doing something he couldn't explain to his angelic being, causing him to feel the pain of his vessel as though it were affecting his celestial being directly. </p>
<p>The ability to heal had been one of the first things Crowley had taken from him. It made everything almost worse, knowing that he could heal himself but that if he tried, he’d be hit with a pain more excruciating than anything he'd felt before, the bond forcing him into submission. Crowley had liked seeing the marks he left, allowing the residual pain after their torture sessions to remind Lucifer of his place. </p>
<p>Lucifer glanced briefly up at Sam before averting his eyes again. Sam sighed and then stepped forward to place his hand on the archangel’s torso. As soon as his fingers connected, Lucifer tried to wrench himself backwards and let out a startled, “no!”</p>
<p>The effort required caused him to groan in pain and tremble violently. Internally, he cursed himself for showing such weakness but at this point it was instinctual. Crowley had very early on figured out Lucifer’s aversion to touch and had used it to his advantage in almost every session they had. But Sam didn’t know that. Yet. </p>
<p>Sam was a little surprised at the extreme reaction he was getting now from simply feeling Lucifer’s ribs, and at this rate he would just injure himself more. “Relax, I’m just checking your injuries. I can’t do that if you’re going to react like this.”</p>
<p>The hunter watched as Lucifer struggled to control the shivers wracking his body, and eventually the trembling subsided to a subdued quake every few seconds. Nodding to himself, Sam continued his evaluation. He knew where most of the injuries were, courtesy of Castiel, but wasn’t sure to what extent they were affecting Lucifer. As he prodded the archangels torso, he took note of each flinch and inhaled breath. Moving to Lucifer’s back, Sam unconsciously winced as he took in the scars crossing over it. He’d seen it when he’d been cutting the shirt off of Lucifer but hadn’t stopped to really take in the damage. Bile rose in his throat as he thought about the torture the creature in front of him had endured… </p>
<p>Sam shook his head sharply. The devil. This was the devil and he had to remember that. He had to remember that this was the same being that tortured him in the cage for what seemed like YEARS. Strengthening his resolve, he prodded at the cuts, checking for infection and ignoring Lucifer’s obvious discomfort. When he was done with that, he stepped to Lucifer’s left side and crouched down. He pulled the pant leg of the sweats he’d put on Lucifer up, checking the knee. The whole joint was swollen painfully and was warm to the touch. Sam stood back up and faced Lucifer again. </p>
<p>By this time, Lucifer was sweating and his eyes were tightly closed. For eons he had sat, alone, in the cage. No one to talk to and no one to touch him. As Samael, he had bonded with his older brother Michael and his younger siblings often. They would groom each others’ wings and small touches of affection were exchanged frequently. Then, he’d gotten the Mark, and suddenly his siblings had been more wary of him. Only Michael and Gabriel had continued on with him as if nothing had changed. They knew that the Mark was affecting him in a bad way and at first they’d done everything they could to help him through it. But things changed. Humans were created, Lucifer rebelled, and the last touch he had known before falling into the cage was that of his beloved older brother binding him and tossing him from Heaven. His time alone in the cage had made him ultra sensitive to touch, and when he was released top side, he had gone to extreme efforts to not touch another creature outside of combat. Even as he had been conceiving his son with that woman, Kelly, he’d been careful to avoid her touch by holding her hands at her side. And so for eons, the only touches that Lucifer knew were those of violence, those meant to hurt and maim. And now he was trapped in this wretched vessel that forced him to feel physical sensations as if he were human. It was almost too much to bare. </p>
<p>And now Master was touching him and all he could think about was how much it had hurt when his last master had touched him. How much it had hurt when his brother had stabbed him through the heart and tossed him to his fate. </p>
<p>Sam stared curiously at Lucifer. He knew nothing of the thoughts running through the archangel’s head; he saw only the outward manifestations of his distress. Frowning at the increased trembling and clenched jaw, the hunter turned around and headed back to the door. He stopped in front of the mechanism holding the chain around Lucifer’s wrists. There was a simple control panel that adjusted the length of the chain. Several buttons were preprogrammed to different lengths. Along the chain were several colorful tags, each correlated to a button on the panel. Hitting one of the buttons would cause the chain to either wind up or release. The current setting allowed him to stand, but barely. There was another which would have suspended him entirely off the ground. At it’s longest setting, the chain would allow him to walk freely in the large circle, about 20 feet in diameter, but would still be 10 feet shy of the lever mechanism itself.</p>
<p>Sam pressed a button towards the center of the panel. The chain released itself and because of Lucifer’s weight combined with his inability to stand on his own, the sudden release of the chain caused the archangel to crash to the ground in a heap with a startled yelp. </p>
<p>Sam glanced over his shoulder at the archangel now stunned on the ground. The one Sam had set it to was long enough to allow the devil to lay down comfortably in the center of the circle on the floor, but standing, he’d only be able to move a few feet in each direction.</p>
<p>Slowly and with small grunts of effort, Lucifer pulled himself onto his hands and knees. His hands were still locked in front of him and his bad leg was stretched awkwardly behind himself. Panting, his twisted his head to stare at his Master. </p>
<p>Sam was leaned up against the control panel, arms crossed over his chest. He stared back at the archangel for a few moments before he finally said, “heal your broken knee, ribs, and collar bone.”</p>
<p>Startled, Lucifer twisted to look fully at the hunter. He hesitated for a moment, unsure of his Master’s intentions, before he decided that he should take advantage of the order before Master changed his mind. Closing his eyes in concentration for a moment, Lucifer relished in feeling his power seep into his bones. He almost moaned with the relief he felt after his bones finished knitting themselves together. When everything was back in place and healed, Lucifer fell onto his stomach, exhausted. </p>
<p>Sam watched all this with a thoughtful expression. Without a word, he stood up and exited the room, flicking the light off as he went and leaving the archangel alone.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. What are we Going to do?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dean and Castiel were sitting in the main room, watching the camera feed from Lucifer’s room. They looked up as Sam entered. Dean exclaimed, “I just don’t get it. I mean, that’s Lucifer! The freaking devil! And now what? He’s suddenly all weak and scared. I don’t buy it. I think he’s playing us. We know that son of a bitch is a liar.” </p>
<p>Sam sighed heavily and flopped into a chair opposite his brother. On one hand, he could understand his brother’s thought process. It was almost inconceivable that Lucifer could have been knocked so low, it just didn’t seem possible. But something about his eyes and body language had Sam pretty well convinced that this wasn’t just an act. He had also realized fairly quickly that if he concentrated, he could feel Lucifer’s emotions. While he’d been standing in the room with the devil, he’d noticed feelings that were not his own. Mainly fear and anxiety, with an unexpected feeling of sadness buried underneath it all. An unexpected side effect of the bond he supposed, but useful for discovering the devil’s intentions. For now he kept the information to himself, at least until he understood the phenomenon better. </p>
<p>He looked between his brother and Castiel and said, “I just don’t know what he’d gain from pretending. To make us feel bad for him? It’s not like I’m going to suddenly release him because I pity him. And it just doesn’t seem like his style. He’s always been so cocky and self-assured, I can’t see him playing the wounded victim card for sympathy points. If anything, I think it’d be way more likely for him to try to intimidate or manipulate me into doing what he wanted.” The tall hunter leaned forward and rubbed the space between his eyes, frustrated. </p>
<p>Castiel spoke up. “I think I agree with Sam. And those wounds he had aren't anything to ignore. His vessel has some pretty severe damage, and based on what I felt during my examination, he is intimately bound to that form. I believe he has experienced everything done to it as if he were human. Even for something like the devil, I don't think he’d just shake that off.”</p>
<p>Dean didn’t look entirely convinced but then his brother spoke up again. “And did you notice how uncomfortable he got when I touched him? Not just from the wounds. I don’t think that was fake.”</p>
<p>The older hunter pursed his lips for a moment and finally said, “alright fine. Let’s say it is all real. What are we supposed to do now? Keep him locked up forever? I don't know about you guys but I don't feel like sharing my home with a homicidal, psychopathic fallen archangel.”</p>
<p>“I know, but what else can we do?” Sam said frustratedly. </p>
<p>Castiel spoke up, “perhaps it is just best to wait and see for a few days. Sam seems to have fairly good control over Lucifer and he’s weak enough that the warding should hold even if the bond fails. Give him a few days to recover and then we can test the limits of the bond and go from there. If he’s faking everything, sooner or later he’s going to slip up.” The angel rolled his shoulders, an unconscious action no one noticed. </p>
<p>Neither hunter looked overly impressed with the plan, but unable to come up with something better, nodded in agreement. Sam looked at Castiel and asked, “so does he need to eat or something? Sleep? He doesn’t look very healthy right now, even after he healed himself.”</p>
<p>The angel glanced back at the computer screen. Through the camera, they could see that Lucifer lay where he’d dropped, though he was now curled on his side, facing away from the camera. They’d all seen how terrible he looked after he’d passed out. Dark bruising and lacerations had covered his body; his ribs were visible, and dark circles under his eyes highlighted how stressed the devil appeared. “I’m not sure. I don't know how this vessel and bond affect things like that. Though judging by how he looked, I would say he probably does need to eat and sleep a certain amount. It’s probably a good thing to test.”</p>
<p>Sam worked his jaw for a moment before standing abruptly. “I’m going to bring him some things. Maybe he’ll be more cooperative.” Without waiting for a response, the hunter walked out of the room. </p>
<p>Castiel and Dean shared a glance before the hunter sighed. Shaking his head, he turned around and said over his shoulder, “I need a beer. Want anything, Cas?” The angel shook his head but followed Dean nonetheless into the kitchen. </p>
<p>xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx</p>
<p>Lucifer was laying on the floor. He’d moved into a half curled position on his side but had otherwise made no attempt to move. His whole body was wracked with shivers, and he could feel the bond thrumming through his body softly. It wasn’t painful yet, but he knew it would be soon. Healing his broken bones had helped, but it didn't change the fact that he was disobeying an order. Granted, he only needed a minuscule amount of power right now but Master’s order had been clear. No powers. But he just couldn't bring himself to stop hiding his…</p>
<p>The door swung open and Lucifer started from his position on the cold floor, breaking him out of his thoughts. He looked up and saw Sam bringing something big through the door. Whining in stress, Lucifer scooted back until the chain wrapped around his wrists pulled tight, preventing him from moving farther away. He started trembling as whatever Sam had brought in scrapped along the floor. While the younger Winchester had yet to intentionally hurt Lucifer, it didn't stop him from imagining the worst. He knew it was only a matter of time before Sam started torturing him. </p>
<p>Slowly, Sam finally moved the object fully into the room. Once inside, the hunter reached behind him and flipped the light switch along the wall. Lucifer screwed his eyes shut for a moment against the blinding lights. As he squinted his eyes open, he finally saw what Sam had brought into the room. A mattress. </p>
<p>Dumbfounded, Lucifer stared nervously at the tall man.</p>
<p>Sam grunted as he pushed the large mattress closer to where Lucifer was sitting. When he was next to the archangel, he pushed the mattress so that it landed next to Lucifer. He turned around and went back out the door, only to return a moment later with a pillow, an old, wool blanket, a bottle of water, and a small pack of crackers. He threw all the objects onto the mattress before finally turning his attention to Lucifer. </p>
<p>The archangel was as far from him as possible, straining against his chains and staring between Sam and the mattress. He looked as though he thought the mattress would attack him. </p>
<p>“I can’t watch you attempt to sleep on the floor. It hurts my back just watching you. But try anything funny and I’ll take it right back.” Sam was glaring coldly at Lucifer as he said the words. With that, he turned around and walked out the door, flicking off the lights as he went. The red emergency lights lit up and as Lucifer’s eyes slowly readjusted, he crept closer to the mattress. Slowly, he reached out and touch it. It felt springy and squishy beneath his hands. Carefully, and watching the door warily throughout, Lucifer climbed onto the mattress. He pulled the blanket up around his shoulders awkwardly as the chains didn’t allow for very much movement. He then gripped the pillow and held it close to his chest. Everything smelled like Sam. It must have come from his room. He reached for the water and unscrewed the lid, sniffing it carefully. When he determined that nothing was in it besides water, he gulped it down, afraid Master would come back any second and take it away. The crackers followed quickly. </p>
<p>After about half an hour, he was pretty sure Sam wasn't coming back. Lucifer tentatively lay on his side, facing the door. He put the pillow under his head and buried himself in the blanket. He remained tense for a while, convinced that at any moment, Sam or Dean would burst through the doors and beat him for daring to use the master’s things. However, after several minutes, the archangel was so exhausted, and so comfortable for the first time in a very long time, that he fell asleep.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Wings?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Several days passed in much the same way. Three times a day, Sam would enter Lucifer’s room carrying a tray of food. In the morning and in the evening, he would unlock the chain attached to the ceiling and pull Lucifer through the halls to the restroom. When they got back to the cell, Sam would reattach the chain, leave the tray and walk out the door. Barely any words were exchanged between the pair beyond the occasional order from Sam to get up or to hurry up. </p><p>Sam, Dean, and Castiel were at a loss on how to handle the situation. So far, the devil hadn’t done anything even remotely rebellious, quietly following Sam’s orders and not saying a word. They could tell he was physically recovering but based on the way he still back peddled away from Sam when he entered the cell spoke volumes about his mental state. Each time the younger hunter entered the cell, Castiel and Dean watched from a nearby room through the monitors, making sure Lucifer didn't try anything. </p><p>It was the evening of the third day since Crowley had brought the broken archangel to their home and the three residents were gathered around the computer screen discussing the situation. </p><p>Sam was speaking from a chair near the computer, “we can’t just leave him locked up here. It’s obvious that this vessel requires maintenance like a human. We can’t leave for a hunt and leave him here for days. And we can’t have someone in the bunker all the time. Maybe we should test the bond and see what we can do with him? He might be useful on hunts, or in helping us find Kelly.”</p><p>Castiel looked sharply at Sam with the last comment, “I refuse to allow him anywhere near Kelly Kline.”</p><p>“Whoa, easy Cas, relax,” Dean said, standing and putting his hand on Castiel’s shoulder. “Sammy’s just making a suggestion. We haven’t had any luck ourselves locating her or Dagon. I’m starting to get worried myself so unless you have another idea or lead, we should at least talk about it. Dagon is a prince of Hell, I bet Lucifer knows something about it.”</p><p>Suddenly, Sam sat up and said, “guys, check this out.”</p><p>Through the camera, Sam watched as Lucifer struggled to bring his bound hands over his shoulder and behind his back. He was kneeling on the ground. Suddenly, a large mass appeared over the archangel’s back and Sam almost fell out of his chair in shock at what he was seeing.</p><p>“What’s wrong?” Dean asked. </p><p>“I think… I think Lucifer might have wings!”</p><p>Castiel appeared behind Sam and as he watched the video feed his eyes widened. There was, in fact, a mass behind Lucifer, though he was facing the camera so the view was obscured. Lucifer had stopped moving for the moment and his head was hanging low with his arms over his head. Castiel appeared dumbfounded and mildly concerned. Dean and Sam glanced briefly at each other before Dean said, “Cas, what’s going on?”</p><p>“I don’t know what he could possibly be thinking. To manifest his wings on the physical plane is rather… egregious. An angels’ wings are incredibly personal, and to show them while in a vessel is almost unheard of. And besides, I was sure that his wings were gone…” Castiel stopped for a moment and frowned at the screen. He leaned close and suddenly gasped, whipping around and disappearing from view, leaving behind only the sound of fluttering wings. </p><p>The hunters looked quickly around before something on the screen caught Sam’s attention. Castiel was now standing in the room in front of Lucifer. </p><p>Dean took one look at the screen and said, “oh crap,” before taking off and heading for the cell. </p><p>Sam was quick on his heels, sprinting after his brother. The men slid to a stop in front of the slightly ajar door and cautiously edged open the door to peer inside. They could hear Castiel speaking in a low tone, his voice shaking slightly, “… do you mean they’ve been this way? Since the fall?”</p><p>The angel sounded like he was barely concealing his rage. Only once or twice before had the hunters ever heard him use that tone of voice. Hesitantly, Sam and Dean entered the room, a low “Cas…” escaping Dean. </p><p>Castiel whipped around quickly and for the first time in eons, manifested his wings on the physical plane. They erupted from his back and snapped to their full length, about 14 feet. A rich, dark brown, almost black color, the wings were magnificent. The hunters stared in open mouthed shock, and both stumbled backwards as a vicious, “leave,” was hissed out of Castiel’s lips. </p><p>“What the hell, Cas!” Dean shouted, recovering slightly and stepping forward. He threw his hands up in a placating gesture, Sam quickly following his older brother’s example. “Chill out dude. You just vanished on us and next thing we know we see you in here. What the hell are you thinking?” His eyes darted quickly to take in Castiel’s wings again before he locked eyes with the angel. </p><p>Castiel’s jaw worked for a moment before he relaxed his posture and his wings vanished from sight. “I… I am sorry Dean. I did not intend to be so forceful. I lost myself for a moment.”</p><p>As Dean muttered ‘no kidding’ under his breath and relaxed his posture, he and Castiel both heard Sam’s quick intake of breath as the archangel behind Castiel was revealed when Castiel stepped forward. </p><p>Lucifer was almost vibrating with tension. His bound hands were pulled up defensively to his face and his red glowing eyes were barely visible over his fists. Knuckles white they were clenched so tight. Over his shoulder, a large shape loomed. </p><p>Sam quickly flicked out a hand to turn on the lights in the room, Castiel had left them off when he abruptly entered the room and everything was still bathed in an eery red glow. Lucifer hissed when the lights were turned on, and his eyes closed for a moment, hiding the red glow from his eyes. With the lights on, the hunters could see what was behind his back. </p><p>Giant wings, if you could call them that, were half arched up. However, something was very wrong. Instead of fully extending like Castiel’s had, Lucifer’s wings were pressed to his back. From what Sam could see, large patches of feathers were missing, showing angry red skin underneath. The feathers that remained were either scorched or covered in what looked like blood. They may have been white at some point, but very little of the pure color remained. Sam was pale as he took in the archangel’s wings. He stepped forward and only hesitated a moment when the devil let loose a low growl. Sam held up his hand threateningly and Lucifer held his scowl for a moment before flinching at the pressure Sam channeled through the bond. He clenched his jaw and followed Sam with his eyes but otherwise was silent as the hunter stepped around him to get a better look at his wings. What he saw shocked him. </p><p>Six wings were wrapped in heavy chains. Bare patches stretched across all of them. Other areas were scorched black, the feathers shriveled and dark. Only a few feathers appeared whole. The ones he could see were a beautiful, almost ethereal white. Chains wrapped around and between and through each of the six wings. Dark red and brown stains covered large portions of the wings, and holes were torn through muscle. Where his wings connected to his back, six large iron rings cut through his back. The rings looked like they were wrapped around the bones connecting the wings to the back and all the chains attached to these rings. They were centered in his back and heavy scarring surrounded them. </p><p>Sam reached out to touch Lucifer’s back but stopped short when a very soft and strained, “please don’t” slipped from the archangel's lips. The hunter drew back his hand slowly and stepped back around to stand in front of Lucifer. He maintained eye contact with Lucifer but addressed his question to Castiel. “What’s going on, Cas?”</p><p>The angel fidgeted for a moment, looking between his two friends and his brother. “I was attempting to figure that out when you and Dean came into the room. I noticed in the video that there was something wrong with his wings and so I came to investigate. The only thing he has said so far is that they’ve been this way since he fell. Apparently.” Castiel fixed a narrowed gaze on Lucifer. </p><p>The archangel shifted uncomfortably and started to scoot backwards. He fell back and pushed himself until he hit the end of his chain, only succeeding in moving a few feet. His wings were tweaked awkwardly, the ends brushing against the ground as he couldn’t move them away from his back to drape them across the floor as another angel may have done in a sitting position. </p><p>Dean had wandered forward to stand next to Sam and Castiel. “So why manifest them now? Cas just told us that it’s almost unheard of for an angel to show their wings.” With his last statement, he glanced at Castiel out of the corner of his eye.</p><p>Sam turned back to Lucifer and said, “answer the question.” </p><p>They watched as he bit his lip and drew his hands tightly to his chest. He was shivering and very pale at this point. His wings shifted slightly and Sam watched with curiosity at the small flinch the movement elicited. Apparently the wings were sensitive, though he wasn't surprised considering how wretched they looked. </p><p>“When an order is given but not obeyed… It starts to become… painful,” Lucifer whispered, looking at the ground. He swallowed thickly before continuing. “You told me that I couldn't use my powers, and that’s what I use to keep… them… hidden. It doesn’t happen by default.” </p><p>At this, Sam and Dean looked to Castiel for confirmation. “Yes, that’s true. It doesn’t take very much energy or focus, almost like breathing. Even an angel with depleted grace should have no problem keeping their wings concealed.”</p><p>Lucifer nodded shakily. “According to your order, I can’t use my powers at all. I… disobeyed,” he twitched uncomfortably, “and continued to use the last of my power to hide them. But I couldn't do it anymore. So…” He trailed off. </p><p>Sam noticed that his breathing had become more labored as he spoke and was now almost out of breath. He thought back over the last few days and with this new information, he could look back and see the decline in Lucifer’s physical and mental state, despite the fact that he theoretically should have been improving under the Winchester’s care. He wasn’t as thin as he had been with regular meals, but he’d seemed more feverish than anything. Apparently after several days of fighting the bond, and now with the pain in his back and along his wings, he was exhausted. </p><p>Dean and Castiel stepped around Lucifer to join Sam at his back. Dean looked mildly uncomfortable, the chains reminding him of his time in hell spent on the rack and suspended in the air. Castiel looked upset. He rolled his shoulders, unconsciously adjusting his own, currently out of sight, wings in sympathy.  </p><p>Lucifer was barely holding himself back from lashing out at the three behind him. He felt extremely vulnerable and nervous, but no one had made a move to touch his wings yet so he didn't say anything. His body and mind were both fatigued. He had been fighting the bonds growing pressure more each day, having to focus more mental energy on keeping the wings hidden the longer it went on. He had been desperate for no one to see his mangled wings, but had known the fight was useless. There was no way he could have fought for much longer, and he hadn't wanted to ask Sam to revoke the order; that would have required him to explain why and he didn't want to tell anyone about the disgraceful display of his wings. They were his greatest shame. </p><p>He was shaken out of his musings when Sam stepped back in front of him and said, “so, what happened? What’s with the chains and the damage? We heard Cas says something about the fall when we first walked in?”</p><p>Lucifer wet his lips and collected his thoughts. He knew hiding the truth at this point was useless, and he could already feel the pressure of the bond pressing him to answer the question honestly. “It was Michael,” he said, so quietly Sam almost missed it. Dean and Castiel came back around to stand just behind Sam. The archangel closed his eyes and continued. “When he threw me out of heaven, he wanted to make sure I couldn't catch myself as I fell. So he bound my wings.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This is what I have written so far. I have quite a few ideas for this fic, which is unusual for me because usually I write one shots and am done. That being said, don't expect regular updates as my life is quite busy and I write as an outlet in my spare time. Reviews help me stay motivated however, so I appreciate them greatly. </p><p>See you all hopefully soon!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. This Won't be as Straight Forward as we Hoped</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After Lucifer’s revelation, Castiel had tapped Sam and Dean on the shoulder’s and had jerked his head towards the door, indicating that he wanted to speak with them outside. The three left the archangel kneeling on the floor, watching warily as the door closed. </p>
<p>They moved quickly back towards the room they had been in before Castiel had raced off to confront Lucifer. Sam and Dean both sat heavily in their respective chairs, but Castiel started pacing anxiously across the room. On the screen, they could see that the archangel had not moved from where they left him, his damaged wings looming over his back. </p>
<p>Castiel sighed heavily, coming to a stop in front of the hunters. He looked tired and worn, his shoulders dropping subtly. “I don’t know what to make of his information. All of heaven thought that Lucifer’s wings were damaged and then pulled apart in his fall. Obviously, those rumors were false, but the idea that an angel could do that to another’s… even someone with Lucifer’s sins…” </p>
<p>Castiel rolled his shoulders again and grimaced before continuing. “I’ve never talked about it because it’s never come up, but an angels’ wings are a critical component of their identity. Each are unique to the individual angel. And they are very sensitive. There’s a very good reason you’ve never seen an angel’s wings until now.” Castiel trailed off and looked between the two humans whom he had come to consider as his family. </p>
<p>Dean’s brows were drawn together contemplatively and he seemed to be deep in thought, digesting what Castiel had said. He looked up at the angel and said, “Cas, man, are you okay? You seem really tense.”</p>
<p>Sam, startled by Dean’s question, also looked up at the angel. He saw the weight on his friend’s shoulders, the dark circles under his eyes, and the subdued posture. The younger hunter had been so focused on Lucifer that he hadn’t noticed how the conversation they'd just had affected the angel. Dean had always been more observant when their angel friend was involved, and Sam was grateful to his brother for keeping an eye on Castiel; with everything going on, Sam had been more focused on their unwilling guest than on Castiel. He could only imagine how stressful this all was for the angel. Lucifer had taken a ride in his body less than a year ago, which was only the latest in a long list of transgressions committed. And now, Lucifer’s wings seemed to have triggered a deeply emotional response in the normally stoic angel. </p>
<p>Castiel fell into a chair and leaned forward, elbows on his knees and rubbing the center of his forehead. “Honestly? No. I am deeply troubled by this.”</p>
<p>Dean tilted his head, reminiscent of the angel himself, and  simply asked, “why?”</p>
<p>With yet another heavy sigh, Castiel said, “because it’s almost physically painful for me to see another angel’s wings in that state, even if the angel is Lucifer.” At this, his voice became almost angry. “I can not fathom a situation in which this would be an appropriate punishment for an angel. Any angel; even the devil himself.”</p>
<p>Tentatively, Sam leaned forward and placed his hand on Castiel’s knee. “We’re here for you. Whatever we can do.” Sam could now see how badly this was affecting his friend and attempted to put his dislike of Lucifer aside for the moment in favor of listening to his friend. Dean nodded, looking a little uncomfortable but agreeing with his brother. </p>
<p>Castiel said, “thank you, Sam, Dean. I know that this is asking a lot. Lucifer has caused you two, personally, many challenges.” He gave the two a small, rueful smile. “If I’m honest, I almost attempted to remove those chains right there. I know it must seem strange to you, but I can’t think of a single human equivalent I could compare this to. Angels, especially archangels, are very powerful beings, and our wings are a major source of our power. But they are also one of the main ways that we bond and connect with one another. From a young age, we bond by grooming each other’s wings. As we get older, only the most trusted siblings and garrison units engage in this activity.”</p>
<p>The angel became quiet and took a deep breath before continuing. </p>
<p>“An angel whose wings are damaged is taken care of by their close relationships and nursed carefully back to health. What’s been done to him… the only thing I can compare it to is if one of you cut the others’ legs off and left him to bleed out.” Castiel raked both his hands through his hair and looked sharply up between Sam and Dean, who both looked horrified. </p>
<p>“Right now, I don't care that it’s Lucifer. I don't care what he’s done. My brother is in more pain than I can comprehend, and has been hiding this for millennia! He’s suffered enough, we have to help him. Please, I know this is asking for a lot but…” Castiel’s voice hitched and he fell silent, staring helplessly between the two brothers. </p>
<p>Sam and Dean looked at each other for a moment. Their friend rarely asked for help, and so there was nothing for Dean to say but, “of course, Cas. Of course.”</p>
<p>XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX</p>
<p>As it turned out, helping the archangel was not as straight forward as Castiel had hoped. </p>
<p>After his conversation with the Winchester’s, the angel had returned to Lucifer’s room, leaving the boys watching over the computer with instructions to stay out unless absolutely necessary. </p>
<p>He quietly pushed the door open and poked his head around. Lucifer was laying on his side, facing the door. His wings were draped across the floor behind him. Glowing red eyes peaked through thin bangs and trained themselves on the angel. Raspy, shallow panting filled the room. </p>
<p>Castiel left the lights off and the door open; he could see well with that little bit of light and thought that Lucifer may appreciate the dimmer light level. He stepped forward carefully, hands held loosely and non-threateningly by his sides. He stopped about three feet in front of his brother and stooped into a crouch before him. </p>
<p>Lucifer regarded him for a moment before rasping, “what do you want, Castiel?”</p>
<p>Surprised at the use of his name, Castiel said quietly, “brother…” Somehow, the word felt both strange and right when used to address the fallen archangel. “I’ve come to assist you. I know how much this must pain you, and I can’t imagine what several thousand years of this has been like, but the Winchester’s and I, we want to help you.”</p>
<p>As he’d been speaking, Lucifer’s eyes roved over the angel’s form, watching and waiting for a sudden attack. His body tensed and his eyes locked once more with the angel at his final words, disbelieving and wary. Slowly, he licked his lips, but ultimately remained silent. </p>
<p>Castiel risked moving another foot closer. “Please, brother. I promise, no tricks. I just need to take a look and see what we are dealing with.”</p>
<p>Castiel stood up half way and went to move around behind the archangel when he was suddenly thrown back as hands were thrust into his chest. He didn’t go far as Lucifer was severely weakened, but was startled nonetheless. </p>
<p>A snarl ripped out of Lucifer’s throat. His teeth were bared and he had forced himself into a somewhat upright position. His breathing became more labored and his eyes glowed an even fiercer red. </p>
<p>But that all came to a screeching halt as his wings moved instinctually to flare out - a move meant to intimidate enemies but caused severe pain in their bound and broken state. Even after thousands of years in this state, Lucifer had not been able to quell the instinctual reactions of his wings, which is why he kept them hidden away most of the time. When hidden, the pain caused by their movement was much less severe; the pain a whisper compared to what he’d inadvertently just done. </p>
<p>A guttural scream erupted from the fallen archangel, before the pain quickly overcame him and he passed out. </p>
<p>Castiel scrambled to his feet just as the brothers rushed in for the second time that day. He looked sick and just as he was about to collapse again, Dean stepped forward and threw his friends arm around his shoulders. </p>
<p>Sam quickly kneeled by Lucifer’s head and pressed his hand to the side of his face. Sweat had broken out over Lucifer’s whole body and violent tremors rocked his frame. Sam felt for the bond connecting him to the archangel and found a ‘just this side of painful’ feeling tugging under his breast bone. Almost frantic, Sam grasped at the bond, and without thinking, sent a wave of concern through. </p>
<p>As the tremors slowly subsided, Sam could feel the painful feeling in his chest loosening. Encouraged, he continued sending soothing vibes over the bond until the trembling stopped completely. Absentmindedly, Sam stroked Lucifer’s hair softly, offering what physical comfort he could in the bizarre situation he now found himself. </p>
<p>Dean had walked Castiel over to the wall and helped the angel lean heavily against it. His hands patted the angel down, making sure he was unhurt by Lucifer’s violent outburst. He quickly realized what he was doing when he looked up and met Castiel’s cool blue eyes. Face heating up in embarrassment, Dean coughed and pulled his hands back. </p>
<p>He stepped back and, once he was sure the angel wouldn’t fall over, turned back to his little brother, who was craning his neck to look at the bound wings. </p>
<p>“How is he, Sammy?” Dean asked gruffly, shifting from foot to foot. </p>
<p>“Not great, but I think I was able to help somewhat. I’m not sure how this bond works yet, but I think I was able to calm him down some. Sort of like when I give an order but with more… gentle feelings,” he trailed off for a moment. </p>
<p>“He was in a lot of pain; that much I could tell. And I think his wings are bleeding now too, but I can’t get a good look.” Sam looked up. “Cas, you okay? What happened?”</p>
<p>The angel still looked a little pale, but less like he was about to be sick. He stepped forward and crouched with Sam near Lucifer’s head. Shakily, he said, “he did not want me anywhere near his wings. The moment I made to touch them he lashed out, much like a frightened animal. I do not believe it was intentional, more instinctual than anything.” </p>
<p>Castiel tilted his head and in an unusual show of nervousness, chewed on his lip. “I fear that his mental state will not allow us to help him.”</p>
<p>Dean coughed and rubbed the back of his neck and stated, “you know, maybe we should just treat him as much as we can. Now, while he’s out.”</p>
<p>Castiel looked up at Dean with a hard look in his eyes. When Dean shifted uncomfortably, Castiel finally relented with a sigh, “as much as I hate to touch his wings without his consent, I think that may be our best course of action at this point. I can not leave him like this. Even if Sam allows Lucifer to hide his wings away once more, it does not solve the underlying problem.”</p>
<p>The angel turned his head to give Sam a questioning look. During the brief conversation, the hunter hadn’t stopped gently patting Lucifer’s head. He looked deep in thought and when he finally noticed Castiel and Dean looking at him, he shook himself and said, “ya, I think you’re right. I don't like doing it this way but I don't think we have a choice. He doesn’t trust us at all, and I don't see that changing any time soon. We can fix him up as much as possible, get a good look at the bindings so we can start coming up with a way to remove them, and when he wakes up I’ll have him hide his wings again.”</p>
<p>When the other two nodded, Sam and Castiel stood. The three stared down at the unconscious fallen archangel; one concerned, one uncomfortable, and one with an unreadable expression.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>New chapter! Yay! I've already started the next as well, so look for that soon. </p>
<p>Poor Lucifer, things will eventually look up, but it's going to be pretty rough going for a little while. </p>
<p>Please let me know what you think!</p>
<p>P.S. - Things are crazy out there! Stay safe and sane. All my love goes out to each and every one of you in this difficult time.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Evaluation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>To say that Sam Winchester was disturbed by the events over the last few hours would be a massive understatement. In a few short hours, much of what he’d known about Heaven, angels, and the devil himself had been challenged. If someone had told Sam even a week ago that he’d be feeling sorry for Lucifer, he’d have laughed them out of the room. </p>
<p>Lucifer was the creature that had ripped his life apart, had tortured him in the cage, had manipulated him into releasing him a second time only to cause mayhem and havoc on an almost greater scale than the first time. Heck, he’d even gotten them thrown in solitary confinement for two months (which may have been the worst two months of his life, excluding his time in the cage)! </p>
<p>By all logic, Sam had every reason to exact revenge on the archangel. Crowley had given him control of Lucifer because of that very reason. And with the power he now had over the devil, he was in a position to carry out his revenge. </p>
<p>But he didn’t. When Crowley had shown up, he’d been shocked to see Lucifer at all, believing him to be tucked away safely in the cage. The king of hell had been so quick to dump Lucifer, that he hadn’t had a chance to logically think about the situation. Sam had accepted responsibility for an ancient cosmic being, an evil being, without much thought. But as time ticked by, he was increasingly shocked by the state that Lucifer was in. Sam had truly thought that Lucifer was playing them, that he wasn’t as damaged as he appeared. But when they’d cut his clothes away, and seen just how damaged his body was, Lucifer’s metal state seemed less like an act and more like the behavior of a wounded animal. </p>
<p>But Sam knew better than anyone that the Devil was manipulative, cunning, and a damn good actor. So they’d locked him away. And they’d realized pretty quickly that he had human needs like food and water. So they’d given him that; Sam barely spoke to him and Lucifer had done everything in his power to avoid touching or looking at Sam. Everything had seemed almost too easy. </p>
<p>So Sam wasn’t surprised when earlier today things had finally blown up. However, it was not in a way he had ever expected. Instead of an escape attempt, or threats, wings had appeared behind the archangel. And everything changed. </p>
<p>What struck him the most was Castiel’s reaction. The normally stoic and methodical angel seemed very shaken and appalled. As soon as they’d exited Lucifer's room, Castiel had given instructions to Sam and Dean about what supplies they would need before wandering several doors down to his own room, claiming he needed a moment. </p>
<p>The second concern he had was with the bond itself. While he was concerned at Lucifer’s ability to apparently circumnavigate certain orders, it seemed like it had taken him a relatively small amount of power to defy Sam’s order to not use any of his powers and keep his wings hidden. But considering how desperate Lucifer had been, Sam supposed it wasn't all that surprising that he’d continued to hide the wings. What was concerning him more was how he’d been able to feel Lucifer’s emotions, at least on some level. Sam had caught vague feelings over the last few days, but today, he’d been able to latch onto that part of the bond and actually send something through it. And that had caused him to feel Lucifer profoundly through the bond. And it had been heartbreaking. </p>
<p>Terror, pain, and most surprisingly, shame, were the most powerful emotions he felt from Lucifer. Logically, there didn’t seem to be a way for Lucifer to hide that, and even if he could, Sam didn’t see a scenario in which Lucifer would willingly show him those emotions; Lucifer’s pride was legendary. </p>
<p>All these thoughts swirled through Sam’s mind as he collected supplies from the infirmary. He shook his head and headed back towards Lucifer’s room. </p>
<p>XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX</p>
<p>Dean made it back to Lucifer’s room before Sam; Castiel was standing just outside the open door. </p>
<p>“Hey Cas, how’s he doing?”</p>
<p>The angel sighed and quietly shut the door once again. “Still unconscious.”</p>
<p>The hunter placed the jugs of warm water he was carrying on the ground and threw the towels and washcloths over them. He walked to Castiel and leaned against the wall next to him, silently providing support. The angel was rubbing the bridge of his nose and had his eyes closed. He looked more stressed than before Dean had gone to get the supplies. </p>
<p>Dean wasn’t one for chick-flick moments though and instead of saying anything, he simply patted a hand on Castiel’s shoulder. Castiel turned to look at him briefly and opened his mouth but then his eyes focused on a point over Dean’s shoulder. </p>
<p>Sam’s heavy footfalls came around the corner and he stepped up to his brother and his friend carrying an armful of various medical supplies. Dean’s hand dropped from Castiel’s shoulder as he turned to face his brother. </p>
<p>The youngest of the group said, “I grabbed everything I could think of; bandages, creams, gauze…”</p>
<p>Castiel nodded stiffly before turning back to the door. He took a moment to gather himself before opening the door and walking through, turning on the light as he went. </p>
<p>Lucifer was still laying unconscious in the center of the floor. They’d moved him slightly so he was now resting on his side with the blanket he’d been using bunched under his head. The mattress was pushed against the wall. He was shivering slightly but didn’t seem as though he would wake. A small probe at their bond revealed no emotions to Sam; Lucifer was well and truly dead to the world at the moment. </p>
<p>He was wearing another pair of dark gray sweatpants; they’d given him a new pair every other day. In hindsight, it was a good thing they’d never given him a shirt, it would be ruined by the wings now if they had. The open wounds he’d arrived with had slowly but surely started to close up but his thrashing earlier had opened several of his deeper lacerations. The dark purple bruises were starting to fade into yellows, but were still standing out strongly against Lucifer’s pale skin. His hair was unruly and dirty; they hadn’t wanted to leave him to his own devices in the shower and had instead opted for giving Lucifer a bowl of water and a washcloth. But upon closer inspection, smaller details emerged, highlighting just how bad the archangel must be feeling. Dark circles surrounded his eyes. His ribs were still visible. His nails had been chewed to nubs. Things someone could only see if they got up close and really looked at the archangel. </p>
<p>Which was now where Sam, Dean, and Castiel found themselves. The three stood silently around the archangel. </p>
<p>Castiel said quietly, “wait just a moment, let me take a look and make sure he will not wake up.” He crouched behind Lucifer near his head and gently put his hand on Lucifer’s shoulder. When the archangel didn’t move beyond a small shiver, Castiel moved his hand further down his back towards the base of his wings. </p>
<p>Dean was paying close attention to Lucifer’s face, and Sam was studying the bond, both looking for any indication that he was about to wake. But beyond some small trembles, the archangel remained unconscious. </p>
<p>Castiel took a deep breath and glanced at his two friends before finally sinking a hand into Lucifer’s top set of wings. They all froze as a strangled whimper worked it’s way out of Lucifer’s throat, but after a moment he settled again, breathing shallowly. </p>
<p>They all released a breath they hadn’t realized they’d been collectively holding. When Castiel nodded to the brothers, they all got to work. </p>
<p>Castiel’s deep voice resonated around the room as he said, “‘I will take a look at the bindings and get an idea of what state his wings are in if you both could take care of some of the more superficial wounds. I believe we can remove the restraints on his limbs if you are both comfortable with that.”</p>
<p>Dean looked to his little brother and said, “think you can handle him if you need to Sammy?”</p>
<p>With a deep breath, Sam nodded resolutely and crouched down to begin removing the shackles around Lucifer’s wrists. Dean turned to Lucifer’s feet and started on the ones they hadn’t bothered removing when Crowley dropped him off. </p>
<p>As Sam finished unlocking the wrist cuffs, he grimaced when he saw how raw Lucifer's forearms were. The chain above their heads clinked as he tossed the cuffs to the side. Reaching behind him, Sam found the warm water Dean had brought. He dipped one of the wash clothes in the water and gently lifted the archangel’s arm to start dabbing at the torn skin. </p>
<p>By the time Sam was wrapping Lucifer’s wrists in gauze, Dean finally finished picking the locks around the ankle shackles and started the same process of cleaning the wounds, spreading antibiotic cream, and wrapping the wounds. Sam then started on some of the surface wounds he could get to easily while Lucifer was on his side. </p>
<p>During this time, both brothers would glance up every so often to check on Castiel. The angel’s brow was furrowed in deep concentration and he kept looking at Lucifer’s face, especially at every small movement he made. His hands were lightly skimming along Lucifer’s wings and his hands glowed with grace every so often. After a while, it looked like he moved on to checking the bindings. </p>
<p>Suddenly, Castiel let out a sharp gasp and yanked his hand back. Instantly, both brothers froze and stared at him. Castiel was cradling his arm to his chest and looking at his palm with a grimace. </p>
<p>“Cas, you alright? What happened?” Dean shuffled over to the angel’s side and held his arm out, gesturing for Castiel’s hand.</p>
<p>Castiel placed his hand, palm up, in Dean’s hand. “It’s warded. I tried touching the rings on his back and it burned me.”</p>
<p>His hand was slightly red and already starting to blister. Dean grabbed one of the remaining clean cloths and soaked it in the water before wrapping it around Castiel’s hand. “What do you mean, it’s warded?”</p>
<p>“The chains are actually made of celestial steel, like angel blades. It is very hard to manipulate or break. But the rings attached to his back seem like they are made of Hell forged iron. And they are apparently warded against celestial beings.” A frown marred his face before he continued, “beyond the pain of having these rings embedded in his back, they are probably painful on their own. His wings are certainly celestial in nature.”</p>
<p>Sam spoke up, “how are his wings, in general?” His face was pinched and his hands were fidgeting, obviously uncomfortable.</p>
<p>While Castiel collected his thoughts, Sam started looking at the collar that was still in place from Lucifer’s time with Crowley. Like the other restraints, the skin under the collar was rubbed raw, though not as badly as his wrists. Sam felt marginally better that they hadn’t really made use of the collar; he already felt guilty about the terrible state of Lucifer’s wrists. Dean passed him the lock picks and he got to work removing the collar. </p>
<p>Castiel raked his hand through his hair and rolled his shoulders before finally speaking. “They are bad. The damage is extensive: pulled ligaments and tendons, terrible burns, a few fractures that healed badly, and of course these chains which actually pierce through the muscular portion in several places… But what I’m most concerned about is his dislocation.” He pointed to the uppermost right wing. “Angels typically have one set of wings; archangels have three sets. The top pair are the biggest and strongest, the lower two sets providing extra speed, power, grace, and stability. This one here is dislocated at his back, and from what I can tell, it’s been that way a long time. The muscle in his back has extensive scar tissue, and the ring is actually in an even worse position because of it.”</p>
<p>Sam and Dean had both gotten paler as the angel spoke, though Sam kept working diligently at the collar. Dean crouched behind Lucifer to get a closer look at the dislocation. “What happens if we leave it as is. Obviously he’s dealt with this a long time. What harm would it be to ignore it?”</p>
<p>Castiel bristled and a low growl worked it’s way out of his throat. Startled, all three froze. “I…I apologize. I do not know what has come over me,” Castiel said sheepishly. He flexed his hands and resumed pacing. “We can not leave it like that. No matter how long you live with a dislocated shoulder, it will always hurt until it is rectified, yes?”</p>
<p>Dean sighed and nodded his head in agreement. “Ya, okay, I get it. But like you said, what’s going to happen? Can we even fix it ourselves? Or can you use your angel mojo on it?”</p>
<p>“Unfortunately not, this needs to be set physically,” Castiel sighed. </p>
<p>“Got it,” Sam exclaimed as the lock around Lucifer’s collar popped open, startling both Castiel and Dean. He opened his mouth to apologize when suddenly, Lucifer let out a low whimper and shifted. Everyone froze. </p>
<p>The archangel started shifting more agitatedly and Sam desperately grasped for the bond. He latched on and sent calming, soothing vibes over the bond, hoping that it would settle Lucifer again. After a few moments, it seemed to do the trick and Lucifer fell back into a deeper unconsciousness. </p>
<p>The three let out a collective sigh of relief before Castiel and Dean both shot Sam withering looks. “Sorry,” he whispered.  </p>
<p>“Anyway,” Castiel continued, “we can treat some of the surface wounds on his wings at least. Some of these will need to wait until we are actually able to remove the bindings. As far as I can tell, they are not warded against angels and can be manipulated.”</p>
<p>“And how does one go about manipulating celestial steel?” Sam asked curiously as he stood up. </p>
<p>“The steel can be melted down at high temperatures. Considering they’re wrapped around his wings, Lucifer would have had a difficult time removing them without help. And the bindings are warded against demons. It’s actually quite creative…” Castiel trailed off. </p>
<p>Dean looked up from where he was examining the metal, getting a feel for how the bindings were situated. “What’s creative?”</p>
<p>Castiel pointed to the wings. “The bindings are warded against Hell’s creatures, preventing Lucifer from asking the demons for help with the bindings. Though I suspect he would never have let a demon near his wings anyway. And the angle they are bound at would make it almost impossible for him to work on them himself.” The angel crouched near Lucifer’s back, next to Dean again and pointed to the rings. “These are warded against angels. A demon could have probably removed them but it would be an incredibly delicate process which a creature like that would not have had patience for, and even then would require Lucifer to allow a demon access to his most vulnerable spot.”</p>
<p>Castiel’s hand came forward and ghosted over Lucifer’s spine. The archangel shifted away from the touch, even in his sleep. </p>
<p>“Without the ability to move his wings, Lucifer is vulnerable here. No angel would ever allow another creature near their back in his situation. The only reason we can now is because he’s unconscious.” Castiel looked uncomfortable, as he did each time Lucifer’s unconsciousness was brought up. </p>
<p>Dean and Castiel stood up and walked back to Sam, who was standing off to the side. Sam said, “so what do you suggest, Cas?”</p>
<p>“Probably the best course is to relocate the wing now, while he’s unconscious. The other wounds are bad but could be treated later and after we remove the bindings. But I am worried about how he will react. It is going to be unpleasant, to say the least. I fear that he will hurt himself more, or one of you,” Castiel said. </p>
<p>They all thought for a moment, and after a few minutes, Dean spoke up hesitantly. “Well, um, you’re not gonna like this Cas, but what if we locked him down, before? If he can’t move, he can’t hurt himself. There are rings anchored in the ground; we can turn him onto his stomach and restrain each limb to a ring.” The hunter winced as Castiel turned an appraising eye on him. “Just until we are sure he won’t injure himself,” Dean added quickly. </p>
<p>The angel chewed his lip and looked back to Lucifer. Finally, he sighed and said, “you are right. It is inevitable that he will react poorly to this and I do not wish for him to harm himself more accidentally.” He looked between the brothers and continued, “but not with those horrible things you just pulled off, do you have something else?”</p>
<p>Sam nodded and said, “ya I actually think I’ve seen some leather restraints in the dungeon. We could pad them too, to protect what’s already injured.”</p>
<p>At Castiel’s nod, Sam left to go get the cuffs. </p>
<p>At his friend’s miserable look, Dean said, “It’ll be okay Cas. We’ll figure this out.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you like this chapter; it gave me more trouble than I care to admit haha. </p>
<p>I'm already about a third of the way through the next chapter, so it should be out sooner than later. </p>
<p>Thanks for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. A Painful Memory</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The leather cuffs were attached around Lucifer’s wrists and ankles. Extra padding had been added to ensure he didn’t injure his limbs further if he struggled. The boys carefully maneuvered the archangel onto his stomach and pulled his arms and legs out straight, Sam monitoring him closely through the bond the entire time. They didn’t want him to wake before they set his wing. From each cuff extended a lengthy chain. Each end was then attached to a metal ring bolted into the floor. Sam, Dean, and Castiel stood back to observe their work. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Lucifer was lying on his stomach, wings against his back; the top right obviously still at a skewed angle. Each arm was pulled out to the side and chained to the floor - not so tight he couldn’t move but still with very little slack. The same was true for his legs, stretched behind him. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They all felt vaguely uncomfortable but knew that if they didn’t set the wing now, odds were Lucifer would never let them get close enough. The chains were necessary if he started to panic when he woke up. Setting a limb, let alone a wing that had been dislocated for so long, was painful and odds were strong the archangel would wake up as soon as it happened. While Sam had control over Lucifer, the extent of his influence hadn’t yet been thoroughly tested and they didn’t want the archangel to unintentionally injure himself or one of them. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">When everything was set up, the three took up their positions. Sam at Lucifer’s head, ready to issue a command to Lucifer if he woke up and was violent. Dean was positioned standing over Lucifer’s legs and when Castiel gave the signal, he would fall to his knees, straddling Lucifer and holding his back down while Castiel used his angelic strength to pull the wing back into place. It was quite risky and none of them were sure how Lucifer would react to the contact and manhandling; hence the extra precautions. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Castiel gave one last look to each brother and at their nods, he took a deep breath, steeling himself. All at once, Sam pressed Lucifer’s shoulders into the ground as Dean sank to the ground and placed his hands on Lucifer’s back. Just as Lucifer broke into consciousness, Castiel gripped the dislocated wing and pulled with controlled strength. Sam watched Lucifer’s eyes fly open in shock and with a loud crack, the wing was set. All of this happened in the span of about three seconds. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">No one was prepared for what happened next. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Lucifer surged underneath them, and released a beastly roar. Dean and Castiel threw themselves away from the flailing wings while Sam struggled at Lucifer’s head to pin his shoulders. The chains groaned as they were subjected to the strength of an archangel, but they held strong. Sam finally had to let Lucifer go as he panicked more once he realized he couldn’t move his limbs. The hunter scrambled backwards quickly before crouching against the wall with Castiel and Dean standing across the room against the opposite wall. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Just as they thought the chains would finally snap, all at once Lucifer stopped struggling and fell limp. They realized Lucifer was speaking in Enochian but his voice was suddenly cut off by a choked sob.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Neither brother was fluent in the language, although both spoke enough that they could understand the gist of a conversation in a casual setting. But Lucifer was speaking quickly and stutteringly, making it difficult for them to understand. After a few seconds though, both could tell with cold certainly what the archangel was struggling to get out. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The devil was pleading and begging for ‘them’ to stop, for mercy. The longer it went on, the more distraught Castiel looked before he finally rushed forward and fell to his knees in front of Lucifer.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Castiel slowly reached for Lucifer’s head and hesitantly placed his hand on the archangel’s hair. Lucifer’s noises came to an abrupt halt as his body seized and vibrated with tension. The hunter’s could understand the next thing he said with haunting clarity - “Please brothers, don’t do this.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Lucifer watched warily as Castiel entered the room. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He was tired and sore. For days he had hidden his wings away, allowing the bond to thrum painfully through his body, causing a deep ache to settle all the way in his bones. Lucifer could feel the skin under his physical restraints becoming raw, and blood seeped through occasionally. Bleeding was still a fairly new experience for the archangel. Usually, his wounds healed long before any prolonged damage could happen. But ever since Crowley had locked away his healing, he had learned more than he ever cared to about what blood loss could do to him, and how wounds could <em>ache</em>. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His broken body was still recovering from his time with Crowley, and while he was grateful he hadn’t been tortured further, he was constantly on edge. At any time, he knew the hunter’s hospitality could change; they could start torturing him and he could do nothing to stop it. He’d tried his best to stay strong despite Crowley’s torture, but he had to hand it to the demon, he was creative. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">So when Castiel walked into his room, he was prepared for the worst. He was prepared for questions and accusations. For pain that would eventually make him scream no matter how hard he tried to hold it in. For the angel to gloat and to throw his weight around and to intimidate him. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He was not prepared for Castiel’s fake concern. Immediately, he was on guard. Lucifer knew the manipulations, he himself had used them throughout his long life. Calling Lucifer “brother” was meant to create a sense of closeness, and his feigned sympathy to make Lucifer open up. But the archangel wouldn’t fall for it. Instead of engaging the angel, he kept his mouth closed, biding his time. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There! Castiel made a movement to get behind him and grab his wings. He wouldn’t let anyone touch them again!</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A warning snarl erupted from Lucifer’s lips, and though he knew he’d probably be beat for it, it was worth it if he could intimidate Castiel into leaving his wings alone. What he didn’t count on was how much it would hurt when his wings instinctually moved. He’d kept them hidden away for a long, long time, bringing them into the physical plan on only a handful of occasions for exactly this reason. They had a mind of their own at times and at this particular moment, they would be his downfall. It was his last desperate thought before the pain overcame him and he passed out. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Upon his waking, an excruciating, burning pain in his wing and shoulder threw Lucifer immediately into a nightmare. Suddenly, he was back in Heaven, just before his fall from grace. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>Michael and Raphael dragged Lucifer through the halls of Heaven towards God’s audience chamber. He was bound tightly from head to toe, arms locked behind his back, wings strapped together, legs stumbling as the short chain caught with each step he was forced to take. He was bleeding heavily from his torso and head - Michale’s Lance had taken a toll on his body, and Raphael had thrown him several times against the ground, knocking his head. The head wounds were slowly closing but the cuts from the lance were bleeding grace onto the floor slowly. </em>
  </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>The other angels were running in fear as two furious archangels stormed through the halls, dragging a third between them. The fledglings were herded quickly into side rooms by anxious seraphs. When any one of the archangels was on a war path, it was best to get as far away as possible. Considering the rumors around why Lucifer was currently being led in chains towards God’s chambers, none of the angels wanted to be anywhere near the upcoming confrontation. </em>
  </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>On their right as they passed several doors, a small, young, blue eyed angel stared wide-eyed before the door he was being herded behind closed quickly. </em>
  </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>The three brothers burst through a set of double doors and found a short man standing in the center of the room, his back turned to them. </em>
  </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>Raphael kicked Lucifer’s knees, causing him to slam to the ground. Michael grabbed Lucifer’s hair and yanked his head backward, baring his younger brother’s throat to their father. Lucifer struggled briefly until the sound of his father turning around made him freeze. </em>
  </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>“Son. You’ve gone too far this time.” God was turned fully towards his three oldest sons and stared disappointedly down at Lucifer. The cold detachment in his eyes frightened Lucifer. He knew he had caused his father much grief over the years, but he had never seen the cold apathy on his father’s face before. </em>
  </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>He looked up at his oldest, Michael, and with a heavy sigh and a wave said, “as we’ve discussed, son.”</em>
  </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>Lucifer’s eyes slid up towards his older brother and he trembled slightly at Michael’s grim face. He was suddenly thrown to his stomach and pinned there with Michael’s lance thrust through his right shoulder, pinning him to the ground. A roar worked its way out of his throat at the pain and he struggled briefly before realizing it was causing more damage. </em>
  </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>He gritted out through the pain, “wait, father, I can explain!” But God had turned away from his sons and was walking out of the room. </em>
  </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>Lucifer felt rough hands on his wings, pulling them out to the side. Sudden, blinding pain ripped through him as silver stakes were driven through each of his six wings, pinning them to the ground. </em>
  </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>He gasped out, “brothers, what are you doing? Stop!” He desperately turned his head to look at his brothers. His eyes widened further when he saw the chains in Raphael’s arms. Lucifer tried to struggle but was unable to move due to the pain running along his pinned wings. </em>
  </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>Suddenly, he screamed as an hot iron stake was driven through his back by Michael. He could smell his own flesh burning as the stake drove past his wing joint. </em>
  </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>He finally broke, realizing what was about to happen. In his entire life, Lucifer had never begged for anything until this moment. “Micha, Raphy, please please stop. Mercy brothers! Don't do this. I’ll do anything, please. You’re my brothers!”</em>
  </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>They didn’t stop.</em>
  </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX</em>
  </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Please brothers, don’t do this,” Lucifer gasped out brokenly with a sob, trapped in his mind as three horrified men watched him fall apart. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I wonder who the little blue eyed angel was? ;) </p>
<p>In my mind, I always liked the idea that angels grow up like humans, starting out small and being cared for and taught by the other angels. The four archangels being the oldest of course. Additionally, the show depicts angels in heaven with human bodies so I chose to work with it for the purposes of this story. </p>
<p>Thanks for reading! Drop me a comment if you liked it; I love hearing from the readers. Next chapter is in the works. </p>
<p>Hope you're all well, cheers!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Bleeding Heart</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As Lucifer lay frozen on the ground, trapped in a panicked state, Castiel hesitantly reached for the cuff on his right arm. It was attached with a simple buckle and Castiel made quick work of it. </p>
<p>As he shifted to get the one on his left arm, Lucifer reacted to the pseudo-freedom and tried to lunge forward, only to immediately be thwarted by the three remaining restraints. He snarled and whipped his head around and sunk his teeth into Castiel’s forearm. </p>
<p>The angel let out a strangled gasp as fangs sank deep into his arm. He raised his other arm to try and fend off the frantic archangel when Lucifer suddenly whimpered and quickly released Castiel. </p>
<p>The blood had turned to acid in his mouth and the bond immediately punished him for his indiscretion in harming someone the master had specifically told him not to. With no mercy, the bond sent a surge of agony through his entire body. There was little for Lucifer to do but ride it out. Fire raced it’s way through his veins and knives cut into his body, leaving him a writhing mess on the floor until the pain left his body a minute later. </p>
<p>When it passed, he struggled to his knees, his left arm stretched awkwardly in front of him as it was pulled tight by the chain. He had just enough leeway to sit with his knees on the ground, his right arm braced under him and left arm pulled uncomfortably at an angle in front of him. He tried to shift further but jostled his wings and let out another pained whimper. Realizing that any way he moved caused pain, the archangel finally fell still, panting on his knees with his eyes staring unseeing at the ground in front of him. </p>
<p>Castiel had backed away quickly when Lucifer let him go and was now standing huddled with Sam and Dean as the three stared at the archangel, totally and completely unsure of what to do next. Sam was looking at Castiel’s wound, but it was quickly closing with his grace, leaving no lasting damage. When he saw that his friend would be fine, Dean turned to stare at Lucifer again. </p>
<p>Dean finally asked, “Sammy, you have any idea what you can do to help here with your weird bond mojo?” </p>
<p>“I don’t know. I’ve been trying to get a feel for what’s happening but there are so many emotions thrown together right now I can’t figure it out. Best I can tell is he was having a panic attack.” Sam wiped his face. “And I’m not getting anything from him right now. It’s almost like he’s not there at all.”</p>
<p>Sam wasn’t too far off. Lucifer had come out of his flashback when Castiel removed the first cufflink, but was unable to help the instinctual reaction to force the angel away from himself and his wings. In attacking Castiel, he had triggered the bond, overwhelming his physical senses. Between that and his already precarious mental state, he’d finally just shut down. Everything was painful, and he was done fighting it all. So he sat there, totally numb to the world, and waiting for whatever horrible thing would come next for him.</p>
<p>Dean took a step forward. The older Winchester had made his dislike for the devil well known over the years. He was evil incarnate, or at least he’d seemed to be. But the creature kneeling before him now wasn’t evil. He wasn’t sarcastic and charismatic and cocky. He was terrified and injured and broken. And Dean’s big brother instincts just wouldn’t stay dormant any longer. </p>
<p>He pulled on every reserve of empathy he had and knelt carefully before the fallen archangel, ignoring the gentle touch of Castiel’s arm as the angel made a half-hearted attempt to stop him. Lowly, he said, “easy, easy. I’m not going to hurt you.” </p>
<p>Slowly, Lucifer’s head turned toward Dean. His eyes were glazed over and he wouldn’t look the hunter in the face. As he reached his hand out, Lucifer flinched back slightly and brokenly whispered, “Micha, you’re hurting me.”</p>
<p>Startled, Dean stilled and stared wide-eyed at the archangel. Sam and Castiel both held their breath as they waited to see what Dean would do. He swallowed down the sudden lump in his throat and said, “no Lucifer. It’s Dean. Dean Winchester. Michael’s not here. No one here is going to hurt you, we just want to help.”</p>
<p>Lucifer blinked hard a few times and suddenly sucked in a breath as his eyes focused on Dean’s outstretched hand. His eyes flicked up to Dean’s and held his gaze. They say that the eyes are the window to the soul, and in Dean’s eyes, Lucifer could see that this wasn’t his brother, similar as their souls may be with Dean being Michael’s vessel and all.  </p>
<p>While Lucifer came back to himself slowly, Dean asked, “would it be okay for us to take these cuffs off?”</p>
<p>The hunter reached forward slowly and on pure instinct, Lucifer snapped at his hand, much like he’d done with Castiel. Said angel looked like he was about to rush forward but forced himself to stop when Dean threw up his hand. </p>
<p>Dean was watching the archangel closely as he pulled his lips back in a snarl. But he looked beyond the angry expression and saw the way Lucifer subtly turned his back away from Dean and how his wings shifted ever so slightly closer to his back. All at once, Dean realized what was happening. </p>
<p>“Lucifer, I won’t touch your wings. In fact, you can hide them.”</p>
<p>The growl that had been building in his throat stuttered to a stop as he stared dumbfounded at the hunter. He pulled in a breath and held it, his eyes darting quickly between Dean and Sam. </p>
<p>Picking up on Dean’s logic, Sam was quick to agree. He knelt down to Lucifer’s level like Dean had and caught Lucifer’s eye. “It’s okay. You’re obviously more comfortable with your wings out of sight. If you’d like to hide them away like they were before, go ahead.”</p>
<p>Lucifer’s eyes narrowed in suspicion, not trusting the Winchesters. There had to be some game they were playing here. But ultimately he was unable to resist the allure of pushing his wings off this plane where the aches and pains were most potent. Off this plane where no one but him could touch them. Where no one could hurt them. </p>
<p>From one blink to the next, the wings flickered out of sight, chains and all. Slowly, some of the tension leaked from Lucifer’s frame, though he was still cuffed awkwardly in place. He flexed his jaw and licked his lips, releasing more of the tension in his body. Finally, he looked back at Dean, then the cuff, and back at the hunter. </p>
<p>“You ready now?” Dean asked, gesturing to Lucifer’s arm. The archangel stared at the hunter for another moment, picking up his resolve, before he nodded slowly. </p>
<p>As Dean reached forward, the room tensed up. Castiel and Sam were waiting to see if Lucifer would snap again and Lucifer himself was anticipating retaliation from Dean. Dean was the only one to not react at all. He stayed calm and collected. </p>
<p>Dean maintained eye contact with Lucifer, shuffling forward and holding his hand out close to Lucifer’s extended one. Very slowly, Lucifer shifted forward on his knees, allowing enough slack in the chain to place it in Dean’s open palm. </p>
<p>Quickly but calmly, Dean unbuckled the thick cuff. Lucifer realized that they were not the same metal cuffs he’s had on for the last several months. In fact, they’d added extra padding around these leather ones and as they fell away, he realized his wrists were wrapped in gauze. </p>
<p>Once free, he pulled his hand quickly back to his chest. He tried to sit up but froze as pain laced it’s way up his spine. The residual effects of the bonds punishment from harming Castiel were making themselves known now that he wasn’t actively defending himself anymore. Lucifer let out a whine so soft, only Dean heard it. </p>
<p>“Take it easy, big guy. Let me take care of those for you and then we can see about getting you somewhere more comfortable.” Dean shifted towards Lucifer’s legs, making sure to keep himself in the archangel’s line of sight as he unbuckled the ankle restraints. </p>
<p>Sam watched all this with a mix of awe and apprehension. He knew that under his brother’s gruff exterior was a bleeding heart. He just never expected the devil of all beings to be at the receiving end of said heart. He could somewhat understand though. Dean was the older brother, the one who had taken care of Sam as he had grown up, the one who helped him through his panic attacks, who still looked after his younger brother. And knowing what they do about Lucifer and Castiel’s seriously messed up family, watching the archangel beg his older brother to stop hurting him in a flashback must have pulled at some of those heart strings Dean had reserved for people he cared about. Sam glanced at Castiel, who was hovering near Dean and Lucifer with an unreadable look on his face. </p>
<p>Castiel was amazed at how considerate Dean was being with Lucifer. He had of course seen and been on the receiving end of Dean’s care many times, but to see the gruff hunter treat Lucifer like a scared human rather than as the devil he is made out to be, pulled at something inside him. Castiel was appalled at Lucifer’s treatment at the hands of their family, and in a way it warmed his heart to see his best friend showing empathy to someone who had hurt him and his family greatly over the years. The depth of human emotion continued to elude him, but he was grateful for their ability to continue forward and show compassion despite circumstances. </p>
<p>Once Lucifer was free, Dean backed up but stayed at the archangel’s level and gestured for his brother and Castiel to move to the door. </p>
<p>Lucifer had moved into a half kneeling position and was watching the other three with careful eyes. Hiding his wings had produced an immediate calming effect. While he was by no means comfortable, he felt much more in control. He struggled for a few moments, pushing the last of his flashback away and as his breathing evened out and he was able to meet the hunter’s eyes. </p>
<p>Hunter and archangel regarded each other for a moment before Dean finally broke the silence. “What do you say we move you to a different room? Fix you up with a proper bed, get you a shower, some food if you’re feeling up to it?”</p>
<p>Dean could see that Lucifer was coming back to himself, but he knew how unpredictable someone who’d just had a massive episode like the one Lucifer had had could be. At this point, he just wanted to move the archangel out of this room. There were a lot of bad experiences now tied to the room and a change of scenery would probably go a long way in calming the devil down. Why he cared so much about his comfort, Dean didn’t know yet. But, he just couldn’t get the sick feeling he had from watching Lucifer beg his older brother to stop hurting him out of his heart. He’d think about and deal with the consequences later, but they had been treating Lucifer like a monster for long enough and it was time to change that. Lucifer had been nothing but quiet and cooperative since his first day, and while Dean was still wary, he thought it was time they reevaluated the situation. </p>
<p>Slowly standing, Dean held out a hand for Lucifer to take. The archangel glanced between the hunter in front of him and his master standing near the door. Both looked fairly calm, if a little spooked. His brother looked hopeful. Lucifer wasn’t sure what game they were playing, but figuring it couldn’t get worse, he clenched his jaw and lurched to his feet.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>A little bit of comfort in there; more will be coming next chapter. I'm working my way into the next section of this story, really starting next chapter. </p>
<p>More characters will be added, probably in the next few chapters. </p>
<p>Hope y'all are enjoying the angst LOL!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. A New Room</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>They set Lucifer up in a room just off the kitchen. After the first few stumbling steps, during which Lucifer curled his lip and flinched away from Dean’s offered hand, he made it out of the room without shackles for the first time. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Slowly, the group made it down the halls, eventually passing through the library and continuing past the kitchen into the side hallway. Lucifer didn’t look at anything but the floor in front of him, except for a few snatched glances at the other three from time to time. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He almost tripped on the last step going into the hallway, but Castiel’s reflexes allowed him to steady the archangel. Lucifer flinched and huffed out a breath of air at the contact, but made a concentrated effort to avoid growling at his brother.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They stopped at one of the doors in the middle of the hallway. Lucifer knew from his previous times here that Sam’s room was at the end of the hallway. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The room was small and simple, a bed with basic off-white covers, a small nightstand with a lamp, and a dresser were the only pieces of furniture in the room. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>At Sam’s gesture to go into the room, Lucifer did his best not to stumble his way to the bed. He sat carefully on the very edge, keeping a wary eye on the three standing in the doorway. The four stared at each other for a few moments before Dean gestured to a door at the other end of the room and said, “there’s an attached bathroom. If you feel up to it, take a shower. I’ll see if I can find you some clothes.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer was still just wearing dark gray sweatpants. He huddled in on himself, wrapping his scarred left arm close to his chest. He saw the gauze wrapped around his wrists and he could feel where his healing cuts and scrapes had been treated. His whole body ached from the tension of the last few hours and he couldn’t stop the small tremors from working their way through his exhausted body. Without looking up, he nodded, hoping they would leave him alone finally. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>After a few moments, Sam, Dean and Castiel looked to each other before backing out of the room. The door clicked shut and he heard a lock snap into place from the outside. Luckily, the lamp had been left on as they left, giving Lucifer some semblance of control. He hated the dark. Specifically, being trapped in the dark. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The archangel released a shuddering sigh. For just a moment, the devil allowed himself a moment of weakness after all the stress of the last few hours. Hell, the last few months, years, his whole life!</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He remembered Castiel walking into the room and looking like he wanted to touch his wings. And he remembered the pain that caused him to pass out. The memories that assaulted him when he woke were fading from his mind, pushed back into the box he’d shoved them into so long ago. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Experimentally he flexed his wings in their pocket dimension. His eyes widened and he looked over his right shoulder. His primary wing had been set. In his panic upon waking, he had not noticed the reduced pain. While the sour taste of someone touching his wings filled his mouth, he couldn’t help but be relieved. His wing had been dislocated since his fall and while all of his wings still ached from time to time, even after all these years, that one in particular had been extra painful. Unconsciously, he slipped into another memory. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>For millennia he’d been trapped down in the pit. Nothing but his memories for company. Sure, every once in a while, one of his demons was able to speak through the warding with him, but mostly it was to check for new orders, or to provide short updates. The spells never lasted long and demons were not great company anyway. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>He had long ago healed most of his injuries from the fall. It had taken a long time for the wounds from Michael’s lance to close; jagged scars still stood prominently on his torso. The one thing that had not healed well were his wings. The celestial energy was not welcome in Hell, and they could not properly heal without a connection to the Host. The burned flesh had faded into deep tissue scars; most of the charred feathers had fallen out and some had grown back in the less scarred areas. The flesh around where the chains pushed through his muscles was mostly healed, though an occasional quick movement caused wounds to reopen, allowing blood to flow down them. And he’d learned to ignore the constant burn of Hell forged iron in his back. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>It was all extremely unpleasant, which was why Lucifer kept the wings in a pocket dimension most of the time, where the sensations were duller and where he didn’t have to look at his disgrace. But the one injury that bothered him no matter where they were was his dislocated primary wing. He’d landed on it when he first entered the cage and because of the angle, he was unable to fix it himself, no matter what he tried. No other creature could enter the cage, but even if a demon could have, Lucifer didn’t think he’d let even his most trusted near the wing. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>And so, in a rare moment of weakness, Lucifer was on his hands and knees once again, reaching feebly behind his back to try and relocate the wing. And like every time before, he couldn’t do it. A tear escaped his eye as he collapsed to the ground, his useless, deformed wings pressed against his back. All but the one, which hung awkwardly off his back. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Brothers, why?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>No one answered. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer was startled out of his memories when Dean reentered the room. The archangel quickly stood and pressed his back against the wall, and watched the hunter warily. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean froze at Lucifer’s quick movements, and when he realized he wasn’t about to get attacked, he held up the clothes he’d found. Between him and Sam, he was more Lucifer’s size and so had brought him a pair of his sweatpants (the clothes Lucifer had been wearing up to this point were also Dean’s), a faded AC/DC t-shirt, and some socks and boxers. He had a towel folded under the clothes and he gently placed the pile on the dresser by the door. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The hunter regarded Lucifer for a moment before he rambled, “so um, I brought you these clothes. They’re mine but they’ll have to do until we can find you something of your own. I also have this towel. It’s clean. So um, I’ll leave you to it. Don’t leave the room,” he finished lamely. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly before nodding again and slipping back out the door. Before it closed, he poked his head in again and said, “one of us will be back in a bit with some food and more bandages. The door’s locked but holler if you need anything.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When Lucifer said nothing, the hunter left. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Another sigh escaped Lucifer’s lips and he relaxed marginally as he heard the hunter move from the doorway. He looked down at himself and winced at the dried blood coating his torso. The boy’s had done a decent job of cleaning everything up, but the sweatpants he had on were soaked in blood at the waistband, and he felt grimy from staying on or near the floor the last several days. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer walked to the door to grab the clothes and towel. While there, he reached for the door handle, curious to see if it was locked, but flinched back when the bond reprimanded him for attempting to open it. A sharp sting in his hand reminded him of Dean’s order and he stepped away from the door, clutching the clothing. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Slowly, he turned and made his way to the bathroom. Like the room it was attached to, it was basic: a small sink with a mirror above it, a toilet, and a shower tucked along the far wall. Lucifer placed the clothes and towel on top of the toilet seat and turned to the mirror. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He glanced at himself for a second before hurriedly averting his eyes. The gaunt look in them had unsettled the archangel. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He noticed the mirror seemed to have something behind it, so he pulled it open and saw basic human necessities along the shelves inside. A toothbrush with toothpaste, a comb, deodorant, all things Nick’s mind supplied the names for. Lucifer himself hadn’t used any of these things before, he hadn’t needed to. But with his powers currently locked away, he couldn’t simply will himself clean. He wondered if the Winchester’s did that on purpose or if they just didn’t realize. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Turning to the shower, Lucifer decided that he may as well take advantage of the shower. Another human device he hadn’t used before, but from Nick’s memories, it seemed like a fairly relaxing activity. Carefully, he untied the sweatpants and let them drop to the ground. After a few moments, he figured out how to make hot water come out and gingerly stepped inside. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was almost euphoric, the warm water blasting into his back, massaging his sore muscles with the high pressure spray. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He winced at the memories of Crowley hosing him down. The demon hadn’t seen fit to allow Lucifer either a shower, nor access to his powers during his extended captivity, and had found sick pleasure in dowsing the devil with alternating ice cold and near boiling hot water. A special torture that resulted in conflicting physiological responses from his body, making the cold colder and the hot hotter. At times, he’d brought in a hose and simply blasted Lucifer and the fluid-filled room with water, letting everything drain through a grate in the ground at the center of the room. Once, he’d even attempted to drown Lucifer. He filled a basin with water and dunked the archangel in, laughing as Lucifer struggled for air he wasn’t used to needing. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer shuddered and pushed the memories away, focusing back on the present and hoping to bring back the relaxed feeling he’d had moments before. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Shampoo and soap were sitting in a small basin, so Lucifer picked those up and started scrubbing the weeks of dirt and filth from his body. The water ran dark down the drain for the first few minutes. He scrubbed until the water ran clear and his skin was pink with the force of his rubbing. The bandages Sam and Dean had put on fell away as the water soaked them. Lucifer scrubbed at the healing wounds as well, not knowing if and when Sam would allow him to heal these injuries. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When he was done, he turned the water off and dried himself with the provided towel. Carefully, he stepped into the clothes Dean lent him, wincing as his muscles pulled when the shirt went over his head. He stepped back into the room and placed the towel over one of the bed posts and sat on the mattress. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When no one bothered him over the next 30 minutes or so, Lucifer tugged the blankets and pillow off the bed, pulling them down into the space between the bed and the wall, away from the door. He curled up in the small space and let his eyes drift shut, deciding to rest until someone came for him again. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam, Dean, and Castiel were sitting at the war table. Sam had made himself and his brother some sandwiches, though neither were eating with any zest. Both picked at their food, lost in thought. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel was staring ahead, lost in thought. What he was thinking, neither brother could know for sure, though they suspected it had something to do with the archangel just down the hall. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“So now what?” Dean’s deep voice reverberated around the room, startling both Sam and Castiel out of their musings. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam scrubbed his face and took a deep breath. “I don’t know. Everything just got so complicated.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean snorted, “right, now it’s complicated. Not like before when everything was all apple pie.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam glared at his brother for a moment after his sarcastic comment but then put his head in his hands and mumbled, “right.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Perhaps it is best to continue as we have been for now,” Castiel said. “It will take me a few days to work through the binding magic on the chains anyway. He has not caused any issues…” He trailed off as Sam squinted at him before continuing, “on purpose anyway.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“The guy seems pretty out of it to me,” Dean interjected. “Not at all like he was. Not sure what Crowley did but this isn’t the same Lucifer we had during the apocalypse, or even helping us fight Amara. He’s real…” Dean stopped, unsure how to continue. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Skittish,” Sam supplied. At Dean’s nod he continued, “he was much more wary after his wings came out. The last few days, he’s been pretty quiet, but mostly calm, I think. This was a whole new level of agitated. I haven’t seen anything like this from him.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel opened his mouth to weigh in when suddenly, Dean’s phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and frowned at the name: Claire Novak. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Answering it and putting it on speaker Dean said, “what’s up, Claire? You’re on speaker with Sam and Cas.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Through the phone came Clair’s strained voice, “hey guys. I uh, I screwed up. I need help.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Uh oh! What's Claire gotten herself into? Seems like bad timing to me, but I'm sure our boys will figure it out. </p>
<p>What do y'all think about the flashbacks? Interesting? No? Let me know what you think. </p>
<p>As always, stay safe out there. I love you all!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Omega-State</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“How fast can we get there?” Sam was frantically packing a duffel with all the supplies he could think of. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Opposite him, Dean was looking at a map. “Not nearly fast enough. Even if I broke the speed limit the entire time between here and there we wouldn’t make it in time. Damn it!” He slammed his fist against the wall. “And you’re sure you can’t get us there, Cas?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The angel was pacing near the door to the storage room. “No, my Grace is still weak. I cannot travel that far, especially with passengers.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean fumed for a moment before sighing and turning to his brother, “there’s one person who might be able to get us there.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam jerked his head up and stared at his brother incredulously. “No. No way. We are not asking LUCIFER for help.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Why not, Sam? We can’t just leave him here anyway, he’d have to come with us. It’s really shitty timing, I get that. But at this point, what choice do we have?” Dean said exasperatedly. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Dean, we don’t even know if he’s stable. You saw him, how messed up he is right now! And we haven’t really tested this bond I have with him yet. He could escape. Or hurt us, or Claire!” Sam returned to quickly packing. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel’s gruff voice made both brothers freeze. “But she might be fully turned or dead by the time we get there if we do not get his help.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>After a moment, Sam slammed the weapons cache closed and took a deep breath. “Fine. Fine we’ll see what he can even do right now. We’re done here, let’s go.” Sam started storming towards the door, his emotions volatile. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean and Castiel shared a worried look before following the angry hunter. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam wasn’t really angry, he was nervous. They </span>
  <em>
    <span>hadn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> tested the bond yet, not really. So if the devil did anything unsavory, it was on him, as the one in control. And he was scared. Claire was like a little sister to them and the idea of bringing Lucifer anywhere near her made his insides crawl. But they were right, if they had any chance of getting to Claire in time, Lucifer was their best bet. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The trio arrived at Lucifer’s door. Before he could push his way in, Dean stopped his brother. “Dude, you need to cool it for a minute. If you go in there, guns blazing, this is going to be more difficult than it needs to be.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It’ll be fine, Dean. He’s the devil, not a victim,” Sam retorted. Without waiting for his brother’s reply, Sam opened the door. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>At first, all he could see was an empty room. Sam was already frazzled from their call with Claire and so when he didn’t immediately see the devil where he’d left him, he panicked and grabbed desperately at the bond. When he felt the connection, he slammed down on it with a punishing force. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Immediately, a shout of pain erupted from behind the bed, followed by the bed itself being thrust violently half-way across the room as Lucifer’s thrashing pushed it away from himself. Realizing his mistake, Sam quickly released his grip and stared guiltily at the scene before him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer had apparently tucked himself into the corner by the wall. If Sam had taken a moment to calm down, to actually look, he would have noticed the bedding peaking around the base of the bed, and Lucifer’s eyes gazing warily at him from the corner. But the hunter had ignored his brother, and now Lucifer sat trembling with his back against the wall, staring at Sam in muted terror. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer had been dozing in and out for what he thought was about an hour. He knew Dean had said they’d bring food and bandages to him soon, and he didn’t want to be sleeping when the hunter came in. Distantly, he heard shouting, but when it stopped abruptly and didn’t start up again, he slowly relaxed back against the wall. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Another 15 minutes or so went by when suddenly, Lucifer heard heavy footsteps down the hall. Harsh voices came through the door, and the archangel tensed, bringing himself into a half kneeling position in his corner. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The door was thrust open and his master entered the room. He glanced around quickly before his eyes closed and suddenly, Lucifer’s ribs were breaking. He cried out in pain as his torso felt like it was being crushed. His leg kicked out unconsciously and he knocked the bed away from himself. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The crushing feeling receded almost immediately but his torso throbbed painfully from the broken bones. He struggled to put his back against the wall, to protect his blind spot from the master. He could feel it, the anger and the agitation of his master through the bond. It reminded him of Crowley, of the demon’s rage as he took his revenge upon the archangel.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>In his panic, he couldn’t notice the underlying and profound sense of guilt coming from Sam now through the bond. All he saw was his furious master looming above him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The archangel whined low in his throat and pulled his arms up around his torso. The master started approaching and he tried to scoot back farther, but the wall at his back stopped him. He reached for his powers to teleport away but a sharp sting from the bond forced him away. The master was saying something but he couldn’t make it out through his pain-addled, fear-stricken mind. In a last desperate attempt to appease the master, Lucifer bared his throat in submission. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Angels as a species were much like humans, with a few minor animal-like traits thrown in. Like wolves, angels recognized a certain hierarchy. Alpha’s were at the top, and anyone below them deferred and showed respect through certain physical traits. One of the most prominent was to bare their throat to a stronger angel. It was a sign that the Alpha could choose to do what they wanted with the weaker angel, but strong family dynamics protected the weaker ones. It was a sign of respect and trust. The weaker angels trusted that the Alpha’s would treat them fairly and as a show of faith, made themselves vulnerable. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>In his entire existence, Lucifer had never once willingly shown his throat to anyone. Until now. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There was no way for Sam to know the intimate workings of the angels, or what the gesture meant, and how warped it was in this interaction, but as soon as Castiel saw it, he intervened. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer flinched back as a pair of black wings appeared between him and the master, shielding him. The angel in front of him almost roared at the master, “that is ENOUGH!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The archangel cowered at the wrath in Castiel’s voice, hiding his face once again behind his arms, sure that his attempt at submission had failed. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Furious words were exchanged above his head, words Lucifer couldn’t understand at that moment but suddenly, he was hidden beneath a pair of dark wings. He glanced up and saw his brother’s face, framed by his wings, staring worriedly at him. Fearfully, Lucifer bared his throat again to the looming angel, hoping again that he would be left unharmed by his show of submission. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>After several minutes, when nothing painful happened, Lucifer’s awareness slowly returned to him. Castiel was murmuring, “it is alright, brother. No one will hurt you now. I understand and I am here to protect you. Easy, relax…” So on and so forth until he could see the moment Lucifer came back to himself. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer sucked in a breath and coughed weakly as his lungs pressed against his broken ribs. He groaned and curled his right arm around his torso and brought his left hand up to cradle his aching head. Distantly, he heard someone, Dean, he thought, ask, “is he okay?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His brother answered, “he will be, I think. He is coming down from something we call ‘Omega-state’ and it can be quite disorienting. He was in a version of that earlier when his wings were out. Angels can fall into it under extreme duress or fear. ” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve never heard you mention any of this, Cas. It seems like kind of a big deal,” Dean said. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It has never come up. You have not interacted with enough angels for it to have been obvious to you as humans.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What about you?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Because I am an angel and you are a human, the same dynamics do not typically apply.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean was quiet after that, apparently deep in thought. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel returned his attention to Lucifer, who was shaking his head slowly and trying to control the trembling in his body. It seemed like it was becoming the natural state of his body after these last few months. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The angel tentatively reached out a hand to his brother. When Lucifer looked at his hand but made no other gesture, Castiel placed it upon his head. He gently ran his fingers through his brother’s hair and Lucifer gave in for a single moment, pressing into the kind gesture before pulling himself away. “Are you okay now, brother?” Castiel asked. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Nodding shakily, Lucifer coughed again and winced at the pain in his chest.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I can not heal you now brother. Are you able to do it?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer looked for his master, unable to see much behind Castiel’s wings. Seeing his searching, Castiel continued, “do not worry about Sam. He gave Dean and I permission to utilize the bond the same way he does. So I am telling you, you may heal yourself. All of your injuries, to the best of your ability.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The archangel regarded Castiel for another moment before he tentatively reached for his Grace. He carefully allowed it to start washing over some of his minor injuries and when he didn’t meet any resistance from the bond, he allowed his Grace to move over the rest of his body. He sighed in relief as all of his aches and pains, everything he’d suffered over the last few months, healed. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel’s wings flickered before hiding themselves away once again. Lucifer was surprised at the longing to see them again once they’d gone. They were somewhat comforting, and he hadn’t been around one of his brother’s in that way in a long, long time. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Now that the wings were no longer shielding him, Lucifer could see Dean standing near the door, just inside it, looking… worried? He could just see Sam over the bed, sitting outside the door, across the hall, on the floor. The archangel started in surprise for a moment but when the hunter made no move to get up, he drew his gaze back to Castiel. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His stomach rolled from the tension choking the room. Lucifer was almost sick at how he had acted. He’d gone into an Omega-state only a few times in his entire existence, but had never once bared his throat to another, despite any circumstances. He looked weak, and had proved how weak he was by submitting to a </span>
  <em>
    <span>human</span>
  </em>
  <span> of all creatures. He’d thought his pride couldn’t be brought lower; he was wrong. Lucifer wasn’t sure if Crowley would howl with laughter or attempt to force him into submission himself when he hears about this. The thought made him gag.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel quickly looked up but saw Lucifer getting himself under control fairly quickly. With a great sigh, Castiel stood up. The angel rose unsteadily to his feet, still reeling from what had just occurred. The hunter behind him moved forward to steady him. A hand along his lower back hesitated just a split second longer than strictly necessary as Castiel gripped Dean’s arm. But then each stepped away from the other. Lucifer saw this but said nothing.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean moved to crouch in front of Lucifer, who had pulled himself into a more dignified cross-legged position. “You good?” he asked. When Lucifer hesitantly nodded, he continued, “I’m sorry ‘bout that. Sammy gets a little worked up sometimes. You’ve been no trouble since you’ve been here and I’m sorry we hurt you. Again.” He coughed and looked away for a moment before continuing. “I hate to do this now, we wanted to let you rest but we don’t really have a choice.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer’s intense gaze was focused solely on the man in front of him. An apology was not something he expected, but it sounded like Dean wasn’t finished. “We’re kind of in a tight spot. An emergency came up. I know you’re feeling pretty crappy, and you’ve had a Hell of a day so far, and now with all this… But we don’t have a choice. We need your help.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer stared vacantly at Dean for a moment, almost not understanding what he was saying. Help. They needed his help? He swallowed reflexively, trying to gather himself to speak. All he could manage was opening and closing his mouth a few times before letting out a choked noise. Apparently he wasn't ready to speak yet. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Seeing this, Dean pushed forward, “a real good friend of ours is in trouble, and we are on a tight time table. Baby won’t make it and Cas is outta juice so we were hoping you may be able to help us out.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The archangel blinked a few times. He looked between Castiel and Dean, and eventually over to Sam, who was making a ridiculous puppy-dog face at him. Castiel looked uncomfortable, but also worried, and Dean’s hands were fidgeting. He closed his eyes for a moment and felt tentatively for the bond. He inhaled sharply at the guilt and shame coming from Sam at this moment. Under that was a sharp agitation and worry. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Realizing that they truly did need his help, the archangel huffed a breath and nodded at Dean. Knowing he couldn’t really refuse didn’t give him any other option. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Surprised, Dean quickly took advantage. “We need to get to Wisconsin, like an hour ago. Can you help us?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was certainly within the realm of possibility for the archangel if he was given access to his full strength. Because his wings were useless, he’d developed a system of teleportation not unlike the demons. He could bring a few people along with him, including a small number of objects. From what he could see they were carrying, he'd easily be able to get all four of them plus their supplies to Wisconsin. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer weighed his options. He knew long-term he couldn’t lie to Sam because of the bond. He had a feeling that if he said he couldn’t, Sam would double check his answer and then force his cooperation when he found out the truth. Or, he could help them of his own volition, no coercion necessary. Yes they’d hurt him, and yes his pride had taken yet another huge blow, but if he helped them now, maybe in the future they’d show some mercy. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer scoffed to himself. At what point did his criteria for helping become reliant upon not getting tortured anymore? </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>With a sigh, and a quick glance at his brother and Sam, Lucifer nodded more firmly. He would help. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So I added a very slight element of A/B/O dynamics for the angels. Why? I personally like A/B/O and while this story will definitely not center on this, or even be a big plot point, it just came out as I was writing it. So I kept it. I hope that doesn't bother anyone too much. On the other hand, if you do like it and want to see a little more, let me know, I'm sure I can work more in. </p>
<p>In my mind, angels are a lot like humans, but they're also connected with all of nature, hence the references to non-human family dynamics. </p>
<p>It's funny how these things work out. I'd fully intended to bring them to Claire this chapter but instead I sat down and wrote this. Apparently I couldn't resist a little more angst for Luci before we moved on. I promise she will show up next chapter. Speaking of, it's about 1/3 done so it should be out soon. </p>
<p>Hope y'all are staying safe out there. I love each and every one of you unconditionally. I know I don't "know" y'all, but just know that I love you anyway.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Wisconsin Bound</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Dean left Sam with Castiel and Lucifer to go get clothing better suited to their rescue mission for the archangel. Sam had stood up slowly and tentatively approached the two celestial beings, unsure what either’s reaction to him would be at this point. He felt awful for how he’d behaved. In his younger years, he knew he’d had a vicious temper, but he thought he’d gotten it mostly under control over the last few years. Apparently, some things were still a trigger for the old rage. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam’s feelings about Lucifer were making him frustrated; mostly at himself. Logically, he knew that Lucifer wasn’t the same being that they’d fought the last few years. Hell, he wasn’t even the same being they’d fought even a few months ago. Something within the archangel had finally snapped. What it was, Sam couldn’t say yet, but as he learned more and more about the devil and his history, the more he questioned his perceptions about him. But emotionally, it still hurt to even look at Lucifer. The fact that he was in the same vessel he had been in back in Detroit, and the same form he’d taken in the cage certainly didn’t help. Perhaps if he’d been in a different vessel, Sam wouldn’t feel quite so conflicted, would be able to separate his feelings a little better. But the situation was what it was and he needed to get over it. It would take a long time, but Dean and Castiel both seemed to want to give Lucifer a chance, so the least he could do right now was try. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer had moved to the bed. He was perched carefully at the edge and watched Sam carefully as he moved forward. Castiel was standing near his side, hovering over his brother. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam paused just inside the door and started hesitantly, “I’m sorry, Lucifer. I shouldn’t have done that.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When Lucifer refused to meet his eyes, Sam took another halting step forward. He took note of the critical look Castiel was giving him and took another second to think of what to say before continuing. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I thought I could put our past behind us, at least a little, but apparently I haven’t. I want to try though.” Lucifer’s head snapped up to finally lock eyes with Sam. His hands were clutching the edge of the bed and his eyes were narrowed. Sam pushed forward, “you’ve been cooperative, and you’ve agreed to help us now. You’ve certainly earned at least me not hurting you for no reason. All I can really promise you now is that I’ll do my best to not react in anger, and that I’ll really try not to abuse this bond.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Both angels were watching Sam. Castiel seemed slightly less agitated and nodded slightly to his friend. Lucifer was still tense, but seemed to be considering Sam’s words. He finally sighed deeply and relaxed his posture slightly. He said one word, “okay.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Slightly relieved, Sam nodded his head. At that moment, Dean returned. He looked around the room, but when no one said anything, he shrugged and walked to Lucifer, holding out the clothes he had and putting a pair of sturdy boots on the ground. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“This is what I could find for you, for now. We’ll have to work on getting you your own gear. Go ahead and change, is there anything else you need before we go?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When Lucifer shook his head, the hunter turned around and ushered Castiel and Sam out of the room in front of him. “We’ll give you some privacy, come out when you’re ready,” he said before closing the door. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He continued once the door was shut, “we are definitely talking about this later. We don’t have time right now, Claire needs us but please Sammy, tell me you can keep it together while we deal with this.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam hung his head and looked at his brother through his bangs. “Yes Dean, I can handle it. I already apologized. I know that wasn’t right.” He stood up straight and turned to Castiel, “and Cas, when we get back, do you think you could explain some of this stuff for us in more detail? I don’t understand what any of that was, and I think we need to know.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course, Sam. I do not expect you to know the significance of what has just happened, but when things have settled down once again, I will explain,” Castiel said. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The three stood in the hallway for another moment before the door opened, Lucifer peeking around the frame. He opened the door fully when Dean waved him to. He was wearing a pair of well-worn, dark wash jeans, a black AC/DC t-shirt, a red and black flannel with a black jacket on top, and combat boots. After his shower and healing session, he looked the best he had in the entire time he’d been at the bunker. While he still looked harried and thin, the dark circles under his eyes were mostly gone, and he looked more alert. His eyes, however, remained haunted. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Quietly, he asked, “where to?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He couldn’t believe he was wearing flannel. Lucifer stared at the offending garment in his hand before sighing and shoving his arms through the over shirt. Good to know he still had enough pride to be offended by the clothes. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>At least the jacket wasn’t plaid.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He stooped over to lace the boots up. Everything fit surprisingly well. Judging by the graphic on the t-shirt, he assumed it was more of Dean’s clothes. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer had to admit that he felt better in a full set of fresh clothes. He took a moment to look at himself in the mirror in the bathroom. He looked better, less… broken. He didn’t feel less broken. But at least on the outside, he could put the mask back up. It was hard to do half naked and hurting and </span>
  <em>
    <span>terrified</span>
  </em>
  <span>, the state he’d lived in for months, but now he could almost pretend that he was back to how he was before Crowley beat him down. Except for the damn plaid. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Shaking himself quickly, not allowing himself to go there, he splashed some water on his face before he went to go face the Winchester’s and his brother. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His brother. The word still felt strange, even in his mind. He hadn’t had a brother in a long time, but considering how protective Castiel had been, “random angel” and “The Winchester’s Pet” didn’t seem to be the right label anymore. Though he was still mortified at his lapse into Omega-state, he was secretly grateful for Castiel to intervene. He wasn’t sure what he would have done had his brother not stepped in when he did. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He’d been so afraid. He’d let his guard down for a moment, thinking that the Winchester’s would maybe leave him be finally, but then Sam had hurt him again. And his broken mind just couldn’t take it. Without any conscious thought, he’d fallen into the Omega-state. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He’d only been reduced to it a handful of times in his very long life; most of those being in his very young years. He had, however, helped many lesser angels through it back in the beginning, before the Mark. In one particularly memorable instance, he could almost feel his arms rocking his baby brother, Gabriel, after the small archangel had had a big fright. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>XXXXX</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Gabriel had his face pressed into the side of Samael’s neck. The young archangel had snuck away from Heaven and made his way to Earth. In those days, the Earth was a dangerous place, even for an archangel. Volcanoes and tsunamis and hurricanes ravaged the surface. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>On several occasions, Samael had taken his little brother out to see the Earth from above, but was always there to keep an eye on the young archangel. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Gabriel had gone on his own this time, eager to prove he didn’t need his brother’s watchful eye. But when he arrived, he had been almost immediately caught in a violent storm. Terrified, he’d called out for his older brother, who had heard him even from Heaven. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>It took a while, but Samael finally found Gabriel, huddled terrified in a shallow cave on a mountainside. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>As soon as he realized his brother was there, Gabriel had devolved into a full Omega-state, desperate for Samael’s warmth and protection. He fell into his brother's arms and sobbed there, inconsolable for hours as the storm raged outside. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Shhhh, it’s okay little one. Big brother has you now. You’re safe.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>XXXXX</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The memory came unbidden to Lucifer and he startled himself out of it, shaking his head. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His heart ached when he remembered what had happened to his precious little brother. He had killed him. An angry, despondent tear fell from Lucifer’s eye. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He wallowed in grief for just a moment before angrily wiping the tear away. There was nothing he could do about it now. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The archangel composed himself before gliding to the door. He took one big breath before he opened it. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam, Dean, and Castiel were standing just outside the door. Dean motioned for him to come out, and he stepped forward and allowed the door to close behind him. He swallowed thickly, still uncomfortable talking in front of anyone, before he asked, “where to?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam spoke up, “Wisconsin; I can show you on a map, but before we go, I want to lay down a couple of ground rules.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean and Castiel both narrowed their eyes at the tall hunter but allowed him to continue. Lucifer winced slightly, but had figured something like this was coming. He nodded at Sam to continue. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“First, I should probably explain what’s going on, so there won’t be any surprises. A friend of ours, Claire, was on a solo hunt in Wisconsin. A werewolf, and she got bit.” He paused a moment, and Lucifer sucked in a breath but didn’t otherwise react. Sam elaborated, “we are going to help her. Now, the Men of Letters have some lore on a werewolf cure, but it has to be done quickly. We won’t get there in time if we drive, so that’s where you come in.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer nodded again before folding his arms across his chest. He looked at the floor and waited for the inevitable shoe to drop. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You can’t be by yourself so you’ll be coming with us. Honestly, I don’t trust you to be out of the bunker. You haven’t caused any trouble since you’ve been here but we have a long history of not getting along, to say the least. And this girl is important to us. In any other circumstance, I wouldn’t have her anywhere near you, but like Dean said, we don’t have a choice. Look at me.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>At Sam’s last command, Lucifer’s head snapped up and his eyes focused on Sam. He was nervous but held the hunter’s gaze. “You will not harm Claire Novak in any way, shape, or form. In fact, you will protect her to the best of your abilities.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer’s eyes drifted to Castiel for a moment. They’d shared his vessel for a time, and Lucifer was well aware of the fact that Castiel’s vessel was named Jimmy Novak. His suspicions were confirmed when Castiel gave a slight nod. The archangel’s eyes snapped back to Sam as he finished his directive, “you will take us to her, and once there, you will not leave my presence unless otherwise told. You will not speak unless spoken to, and you will not do anything to hinder us. Do you understand?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam was staring intensely at Lucifer, almost daring him to object. And though the words tasted like acid coming out of his mouth, Lucifer said very quietly, “yes, sir.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He heard Castiel take a quick inhale and felt Dean shift nervously. At his quiet acquiescence, Sam finally dropped his stiff posture and watched the archangel for another moment before nodding and saying, “okay, good. Thank you.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer wasn’t expecting the thanks, though he appreciated Sam not taking more advantage of his status as the master. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright if we’re done with that, can we get a move on?” Dean’s loud voice interrupted the tense mood. At everyone’s nod, they all moved quickly into the library. On the war table, lay a map. They all moved to stand around the map. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean pointed to a small town and said, “she’s staying in this town, at the Wild Boar Lodge. The parking lot will be okay. I don’t want to pop into her room and startle her. Can you do that?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer closed his eyes and mentally took himself to the town in his mind. By accessing his Grace, he could find any location on Earth. He traveled down the dark streets and found a sign for the motel. With the picture in his mind, he opened his eyes and said, “I’ve got the location. We can go when you’re ready.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“How exactly will this work? Dean asked, looking nervous. “I always feel sick when Cas zaps us around.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>For the first time, a hint of a smirk curved Lucifer’s mouth. “When you travel with Castiel, he is flying with you. So quick that your human senses can’t perceive it, but flying nonetheless. And yes, I do know about your aversion to flying.” At this, he let out a tiny scoff. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean narrowed his eyes and said, almost playfully, “yeah yeah I get it. Make fun of me, but remember, not all of us have wings.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel tensed up and Lucifer flinched slightly, all traces of mirth gone from his face. “Um, right. Sorry.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Realizing his mistake, Dean opened his mouth but Lucifer pushed past it. “Well, as I was saying, we won’t be flying. I developed a system of teleportation. Who do you think the demons learned that trick from?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean stared for a second before saying, “dude, that’s pretty cool actually.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Surprised, Lucifer glanced up at Dean, who was grinning. He felt slightly awkward but finished, “I just have to be touching you to move you with me.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam looked at everyone and said, “okay, are we ready?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel and Dean both nodded firmly. Lucifer held out his arms. Sam hesitated a moment before placing his left hand on Lucifer’s right forearm. Dean did the same on his left. Castiel, who was standing directly in front of Lucifer, watched his face as he lifted his hand to place it on Lucifer’s left shoulder. He gave the archangel one small squeeze and a small smile. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer breathed in deeply before closing his eyes and teleporting them all away. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They landed in a dimly lit, grimy parking lot. The wind was bitingly cold and the two humans pulled their jackets more closely around themselves. Sam scanned the parking lot and spotted Claire’s car outside a ground floor unit marked with an 8. He pointed to the door and moved forward, trusting the other three to follow. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When they got to the door, they listened for a few moments, waiting to see if any suspicious noises could be heard. When they felt like everything sounded normal, Dean stepped in front of everyone, right up to the door. He gestured for Lucifer to stand off to the side, unsure of how Claire would react to the unfamiliar face. He raised his fist and knocked on the door, in the agreed upon pattern they’d previously established with the female hunter. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>After a few moments, the door creaked open and a pair of shining eyes looked out from the darkness. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A feminine voice whispered from inside the room, “Sam, Dean, Cas?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam spoke up from behind his brother, “yeah Claire, we’re here. Can we come in?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The eyes retreated but the door remained open, a clear invitation. Dean, followed by Cas entered the room. Sam stood at the threshold for another moment before saying, “we have one more person here with us. He was sort-of our ride to get here.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine, bring him in too,” Claire said gruffly. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam motioned for Lucifer to come in behind him. Once the door was firmly shut, Sam flicked on the lamp next to the door. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Claire was sitting in a chair on the far side of the room. Her jeans were ripped and her shirt was splattered with blood. Her hair was bound tightly in a braid down her back. She had bruises littering the skin they could see, but the most noticeable thing about her was the angry, red, festering bite on her left shoulder. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A phone beeped quietly on the desk. A man walked from the far side of the hotel room to answer it. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Report,” the man said firmly, with a distinct British accent. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>From the phone came another British voice, “we have a small issue. The Winchester’s and company have just appeared.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The first man sucked in a breath, thinking quickly through several possible scenarios. He finally asked, “I thought they were in Kansas. What do you mean they ‘appeared’ and who is with them?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Well one is definitely their pet angel. I’m not sure about the other. I’ll try to get a picture for facial recognition. As for how they got here, I’m assuming their angel had something to do with it. I was watching the target when they suddenly appeared in the parking lot. They’ve just gone into its room.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The man started pacing. This was not good. He knew the Winchester’s knew the girl who’d been bit by the werewolf, and he was hoping to have the situation cleaned up before they realized. Intervening now could prove disastrous for their working relationship with the hunters. Sighing, he said, “stand down for now, Ketch. We need to reevaluate. Keep an eye on the girl and engage only if necessary, and see if you can get a picture of the other man. I’ll contact you with further orders shortly.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Arthur Ketch replied, “very well, but make it fast, Davies.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Mick Davies hung up without responding. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for reading! This will be sort of an AU of episode 12x16. </p>
<p>The British Men of Letters appear! What will happen?</p>
<p>Next chapter should be out pretty soon, I have it mostly done. Drop me a note if you like it or have a comment/suggestions! Love y'all!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Bullets and Beauty Sleep</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Castiel watched Claire carefully, looking for signs of the change. On the outside, he looked like his normal, aloof self. But on the inside, he was anxious. He felt responsible for the girl, she was, afterall, the daughter of his vessel. For a brief moment in time, she’d even been his vessel. And the direction her life had taken since that fateful day so many years ago was his fault. Castiel was incredibly grateful to Jimmy Novak, and he would do whatever it took to save his daughter. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He wasn’t aware of a cure for a werewolf bite, but the small amount of research they’d been able to uncover before they left the bunker seemed decently promising. But first, they needed to know what happened so they could hunt down the werewolf that bit her; they would need his blood for the cure. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean walked over to Claire and put a hand on her shoulder, drawing her eyes to his. “You okay, kid?” he asked.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ever the feisty spirit, Claire replied, “I’m doing great, old man. Just look at me. The picture of health.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Normally, Dean wouldn’t have let the “old-man” comment slide, but seeing the haggard look on Claire's face, Castiel wasn’t surprised to see the hunter let it go, he simply moved away slightly to give her some space. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The angel stepped forward, watching Claire carefully. When the girl didn’t react negatively to his presence, he stepped closer and sat on the table in front of her. He was never quite sure how she would react to being around him. In the past, it had ranged from hostile and upset, to mild indifference. He liked to think that they were better now, though he knew he could never really make up for taking the girl’s father from her and setting her on this path. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel asked, “what happened, Claire?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She grunted before slouching back in her seat and biting out, “I messed up. Got wind of a suspicious death in town so I was checking it out. A girl ended up in the hospital and her brother was killed. Cops claimed it was an animal attack but the heart was gone. Figured it was probably a werewolf.” The two other hunters nodded knowingly. “The girl died suddenly in the hospital yesterday and I was on my way back from examining the body when the asshole jumped me from behind. I tried to fight him off but he bit me. I thought he was going to rip me apart but he left. I didn’t even get a good look at the guy, but I’m pretty sure I know who it is. One of the bartenders downtown.” She was quiet for a moment before she slammed her fist into the arm of the chair. “I can’t believe this!” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam spoke up from where he was sitting at the dining table, “okay, this isn’t good but I think we have a solution. We can help Claire; I’m glad you called.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It was either call you guys or... Well, you know. I figured I’d at least see if you can pull off one of your Winchester miracles.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel tensed for a moment as a quiet huff came from the corner. His eyes flicked to Lucifer, who was standing in the corner closest to the door. The angel managed to catch the tail end of a slightly amused look before the archangel’s eye widened and he paled, dropping his eyes to the ground quickly. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Claire followed Castiel’s gaze. Her eyes narrowed before she stood up and marched over to the archangel. All the guys in the room tensed as she stopped right in front of Lucifer, who was doing his best to look at anything but her. “So, who are you anyway? Another angel friend of theirs?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer watched quietly from his corner of the room. When the door closed behind him, Sam had subtly gestured for him to stand out of the way. He’d moved to stand in the corner and had done his best to not fidget. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The brothers and Castiel were tense, and that made him nervous. That, and the presence he could feel across the parking lot. It had been watching them closely since they arrived but he hadn’t been able to get Sam’s attention fast enough to say anything about it. He figured if it came closer he’d say something, but until then, he followed Sam’s rule about not speaking unless spoken to. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He’d succeeded until the girl had made that comment about ‘Winchester miracles’ and Lucifer couldn’t contain his slight huff of self-deprecating laughter. He knew a thing or two about those so-called miracles. Somehow, the boys always seemed to come out on top, even (especially, it seemed like) over himself. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But the second the girl turned to look at him, he knew he'd made a mistake. Internally he kicked himself as she marched over to him. Lucifer folded his arms across his chest and leaned subtly into the wall behind him, trying to put as much distance as possible between himself and the girl. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When he didn’t say anything, she prompted again, “well?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Unsure how to respond, he looked desperately at Sam. The hunter stood up and came to stand near the corner. “He’s another angel. Cas was out of angel mojo so he helped us out,” he said carefully. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Claire looked between Sam and Lucifer and opened her mouth to ask something when all of a sudden, she got a pained look on her face. She clutched her head and started shaking. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam, Dean, and Castiel all yelled, “Claire” at the same time. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Her head twisted violently to the side and she let out a strangled snarl. Her fingernails started elongating and her incisors descended. A deep growl reverberated from her chest. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Several things happened at once. Claire turned to Sam and made to lunge for him. Dean and Castiel moved to intercept her. And Lucifer put himself in the path of a bullet aimed straight for Claire Novak’s heart. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Glass shattered as the silver bullet passed through the barrier and everyone in the room, minus the archangel, took cover. Lucifer grunted as the bullet impacted his left shoulder, causing him to lurch forward a step. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The suddenness of the window breaking had shocked Claire enough that she was able to come back to herself for the moment. She and the others scrambled back to their feet. Dean yelled, “son of a bitch!” Sam moved to grab Claire and pull her towards him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer’s eyes glowed red as he put himself in front of a second bullet meant for Claire. This one tore through the center of his chest and his eyes bulged in pain for a moment before he ejected both bullets from his body and used his Grace to heal. He grunted when he realized it was slow going. The bullets were laced with sigils that, while not deadly to him, seemed to slow the natural abilities of all supernatural creatures. They’d also been dipped in holy oil, apparently. Interesting. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam yelled to him, “what’s going on!?” The girl was behind the hunter and they were taking cover behind the wardrobe standing against the wall. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer bit out, “a man, across the parking lot. He’s been watching us since we got here. Didn’t realize he had a gun.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel was suddenly in front of him. “Lucifer, are you okay?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer coughed as blood filled his lungs. Blood seeped from between his lips and dripped down his chin. Sam and Dean both looked on in shock at the apparently injured archangel. He spit the excess blood on the floor and his eyes glowed an even more intense red as his Grace worked double time to clear the fluid. “I’ll be fine, Castiel. The bullets were just a little more intense than your average werewolf killing bullets,” he rasped out.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sensing more movement, he turned swiftly and his eyes narrowed in on the shooter. A tall, dark clad man was starting up a motorcycle. Lucifer reached out with his Grace to stop the man but the pain radiating from the entry wounds of the bullets stopped him. He snarled in frustration as the man whipped out of the parking lot. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Feeling no other threats for the moment, the archangel finally gave in to the pain and dropped to his hands and knees, panting harshly into the ground. “He’s gone. There’s no one else,” he bit out around the throbbing pain. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Everyone’s eyes turned swiftly when Claire said breathlessly from behind Sam, “Lucifer? He’s Lucifer? The devil?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Unsure how to answer her, Sam simply nodded. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Claire took a few steps forward and stared at the archangel on the floor. “And he just took a bullet meant for me…” she trailed off before yelling, “what the hell is going on?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She turned to face the hunters but suddenly fell to her knees and gripped her head. She growled before saying, “it’s happening, guys, you have to shoot me now. Please! Before I hurt anyone!” A small yell escaped her and she went to her side, curling into a fetal position. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No no no!” Dean yelled, dropping next to her. “Hold on Claire, we’ll figure this out. Cas, is there anything you can do?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel looked on with wide eyes, his posture stiff. Dean swung his eyes from Castiel, back to Claire and then to Sam. When he saw that Sam looked just as distressed as he felt, he finally turned to Lucifer. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The archangel had finally managed to heal the bullet wounds and was sitting with his back against the wall, under the shattered window. He was nervously shifting his eyes between the occupants of the room. When Dean’s gaze settled on him, and desperately mouthed, ‘please’ to him, he took a deep breath and then lurched to his feet. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I may be able to put her to sleep until you can track the sire down. She won’t be able to turn.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Great, do that,” Dean shouted.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer flinched and averted his gaze but continued, “it’s not something I can say I’ve done in a very long time. If I push her mind too far, she may never wake up.” He crossed his arms in front of his chest and turned so he was leaning against his corner once again. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean turned to Castiel, “you can’t do it?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Unfortunately not. To try and influence the mind of a werewolf on the full moon without causing damage is beyond my capabilities.” Castiel crouched next to Dean and Claire, who was starting to moan in pain, unaware of the conversation going on around her. “Sam, Dean, this may be our only option. We don’t have time. It’s either this or she turns fully and is lost to us.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean turned to look at his younger brother, who was watching Lucifer closely. He closed his eyes for a moment and pulled in a deep breath. “Fine. Do it,” he said. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The archangel pulled himself away from the wall and approached the girl nervously. Before kneeling next to her, he paused and looked at Sam, meeting his gaze. “I can’t do this if you’re going to blame me if this doesn’t work.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam’s eyes hardened. “What?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer immediately flinched and pulled in on himself; his eyes dropped to the floor. He spoke with a slight tremble, “this is a delicate process, and I just… If I’m worried you’re going to... “ He pulled his left arm up protectively to his chest, his right hand scrubbing his scar anxiously. He looked to Castiel, begging him to understand and explain. He was well aware of how important this girl was, and if he failed, he was terrified Sam would do something drastic. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Understanding dawned on Castiel’s face and he came to stand next to Sam. He gripped his shoulder and forced the hunter to look at him. “Sam, I know Claire means a lot to you. She means a lot to all of us. But if this does not work, you can not blame Lucifer. He will do everything he can to ensure she is safe, but you have to promise me, promise him, that no matter what, you will not blame him.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer watched from the corner of his eye as Sam struggled with himself. He could feel the resentment and nervousness through the bond from Sam, and did his best to rein in his own apprehension, knowing that it wouldn’t instill any confidence in him with the hunter. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Finally, Sam seemed to come to a decision and he backed off. He looked to Dean, who nodded gravely at him, and then finally looked back at the archangel. “Okay. I trust that you will do your best. And I understand that this may not turn out how we want it but no matter what happens, I’ll just be grateful that you tried.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer's eyes snapped to Sam and he relaxed marginally when he felt the sincerity of Sam’s words. He nodded and finally dropped to his knees beside Claire. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The girl was writhing back and forth at this point, doing a valiant job of resisting the change, but slowly succumbing. Lucifer tentatively reached out a hand and touched two fingers to her forehead. Instantly, Claire went rigid, her eyes tightly closed. The archangel’s eyes closed for a moment, then opened, revealing his glowing red eyes. Red light erupted from his hand for a few moments, before fading. Carefully, Lucifer removed his hand and said, “it’s done. I believe it worked, but we won’t know for certain until I try to wake her up again.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Claire lay calmly across the floor, in stark contrast to her thrashing moments before. She looked almost peaceful. Carefully, Dean picked her up and laid her on the bed. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He turned back around to face the other three occupants of the room and said, “so what now?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel spoke up, “we are fairly confident that the werewolf is at a bar downtown, yes? We need to find him as quickly as possible. Preferably before the shooter finds him first.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam and Dean both started, having nearly forgotten about the gunman who just minutes before almost killed Claire. They had been so wrapped up in stopping her transformation that they’d seemingly forgotten about the shattered window for a moment. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dark blood was barely visible on the black t-shirt Lucifer had on, but the blood was slowly dripping to the floor. He stooped down to gather the two bullets he’d ejected from his body, examining them for a moment. There was intricate spell work tied into the bullet. “These are special. They would probably kill, or at the very least, immobilize most any creature they hit. They are dipped in holy oil, blessed silver, and have runes and a devil’s trap carved into them. Obviously, they are ineffective against an archangel, but I would be concerned about even Castiel being hit with one of these. Especially in his weakened state.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Why didn’t you say anything about him? It seems like you knew he was there.” Sam was back to staring mistrustfully at Lucifer. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The archangel winced slightly, but answered, “You told me not to speak unless spoken to and I didn’t know he had a gun. When he fired the weapon, I did as asked and protected the girl.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer yelped when Sam used the bond to push him against the wall roughly. Nothing hurt, but the suddenness of the movement startled him. He could see the master struggling with himself for a moment and he whined quietly, hoping that he hadn’t just pissed him off too bad.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Easy Sammy, chill out. Claire’s okay. Lucifer was the one who saved her life.” Dean walked to his brother and placed a warning hand on Sam’s arm. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The master shook his head for a moment, before releasing the bonds pressure. Lucifer sagged with relief, his hands coming up into their usual protective position in front of his chest, left arm cradled by the right. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam said, “in the future, you will tell us when you sense a potential threat, understood?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, sir,” Lucifer quietly murmured. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel was standing to the side, grinding his jaw. He fixed a disappointed look on Sam before sighing and saying, “back to the problem at hand. We need to get this werewolf, and we need to keep an eye out for this other hunter. I propose that Sam and I go find the werewolf while Lucifer and Dean stay here to watch Claire.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean looked like he might protest for a moment, but at Castiel’s hard look, he relented and said, “fine. As good a plan as any. Follow her trail through downtown and find this son of a bitch. Luce and I will wait here and prep the cure in the meantime. We good?” He looked specifically at Sam. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer started at the use of Dean’s nickname for him and stared at the hunter. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam was quiet for a minute, thinking the plan over. “Alright, Cas and I will head into town while you prep the spell. We’ll be back as soon as we can. You gonna be fine here Dean?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yup, I’ve got it handled. Now go kick some werewolf ass!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam and Castiel nodded and together walked out the door. Castiel gave both Dean and Lucifer a lingering look, waiting for a nod from Lucifer, before he stepped out after Sam. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When Dean and Lucifer were finally alone with Claire, Dean turned to the archangel and said, “okay let’s see if we can’t get this cleaned up and the cure started. Think you can help with that?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer nodded and they both got to work. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I think this chapter puts me over 30,000 words for this work! Wow! Thanks for sticking with me so far!</p>
<p>It's my birthday this week (which is usually my favorite holiday) but with everything going on, I won't get to see any friends or family :( Maybe to help cheer me up, you can tell me what you think? I'm also open to any suggestions you may want to see in this work. No promises but I'm always happy to hear ideas!</p>
<p>Love you guys! </p>
<p>PS - I've been trying to get new chapters out every 2 weeks and I'll keep trying to stick to that schedule.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Werewolves and a Photograph</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Sam and Castiel returned fairly quickly from their hunt, all things considered. They’d gone to the downtown area and had quickly encountered the werewolf attacking yet another girl. Between the two of them, they’d been able to subdue the rogue werewolf and take what they needed, leaving the now human looking body in a back alley. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam handed Dean the remaining components he needed for the cure and he got to work. Castiel and Lucifer watched from the corner of the room, mildly fascinated at the process. Neither angel had been aware of a cure for werewolfism; it would be interesting to see if it actually worked. Castiel hadn’t asked his Father for anything since his second abandonment of Earth, but he now found himself asking for Claire’s recovery. Lucifer was simply hoping that he could wake the girl up, cured or not. He shuddered when he thought of Sam’s rage if she didn’t, despite his promises. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When he was done, Dean brought the cure to Claire and tilted it into her mouth. Everyone tensed as they waited to see whether or not it would work. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>After a few minutes, which consisted of each person staring nervously at all the others, Claire finally moved. It started with a small twitch of her fingers and gradually her body shifted back into her normal, human self. Half formed claws and teeth retreated and she lay still once again. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A collective sigh of relief came from the two hunters and the angel. Lucifer waited quietly in the corner for his signal to wake the girl. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam turned to Lucifer and said, “okay, I think we’re good. Wake her up.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The archangel swallowed thickly and stepped forward. He eyed Sam nervously. The hunter was standing near the girl’s head with his arms crossed, posture tense. His hand came forward and slowly lit up with a red glow. His eyes flashed red as well as he brought his hand to Claire’s head. His eyes closed in concentration and leaned over the girl. Everyone held their breaths. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Suddenly, Claire sucked in a huge lungful of air before expelling it violently in a hacking cough and sitting up abruptly. Two yelps were heard as she slammed head first into the archangel. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer lurched backwards, and collapsed to his knees as the bond sent a warning pulse of power through his body, reprimanding him for hurting the girl, even unintentionally. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He was ignored in favor of Sam, Dean, and Castiel rushing forward to check on the girl. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean gripped her shoulder and said, “you with us?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She continued coughing and rubbing her head and Sam quickly turned to grab her a glass of water he’d prepared. He placed it in her hand and she drank greedily. Finally, still holding her head, she said, “yeah. Yeah I’m good, I think. What happened?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Just as Dean was about to answer, they heard a desperate gasp behind them. Lucifer was crouched on the ground, hand gripping his shirt over his heart. His breathing was getting labored and Castiel dropped to his knees beside his brother, “Lucifer, what’s wrong?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The archangel shifted his gaze to Castiel and opened his mouth to answer, but all that came out was a cough. The angel looked back and forth between Lucifer and the hunters before his eyes widened in sudden realization. “It’s okay Lucifer, you didn’t mean to hurt her. You did well.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer sagged as the bond released its grip on his heart. He stayed on his hands and knees for a moment, catching his breath. That had been unpleasant. The bond hadn’t hurt him, per say, but it had slowly constricted his being until Castiel had released him from the responsibility of hurting the girl. Apparently even accidentally breaking the rules could trigger the bond. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam stared guiltily at Lucifer. He hadn’t meant for the bond to work that literally. He’d been anxious over Claire’s recovery, and worried about letting the unstable archangel near her. But everything had turned out as well as they could have hoped. And the archangel had obviously not meant to hurt Claire, in fact, Claire was really the one who had hurt him! He stepped over to kneel by the archangel and asked, “are you okay? I’m sorry, I didn’t realize that would happen.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer shot Sam a quick glance but finally waved him off. “I’m fine, didn’t hurt, was just unpleasant.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Claire was sitting up now and watching the interaction while rubbing her forehead. “You’ve got a hard head, you know that?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The archangel huffed and replied, “you’re not exactly better.” He winced at his own tone and glanced at Sam, but he didn’t seem upset. If anything, he seemed curious. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“So I suppose I have you to thank for saving me?” Claire swung her legs over the side of the bed and stared intently at the devil. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer hastily got to his feet and retreated to the far side of the room, keeping a wary eye on the young woman. He refused to meet her gaze and after a few moments, Claire got up and marched over to the archangel. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“As far as I can tell, you got these boneheads here, took a bullet for me, and then prevented me from shifting until they could get the cure. Does that sum it up?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey,” Dean shouted indignantly. “We aren’t boneheads, you’re the one who’s hunting alone.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The girl scoffed and looked over her shoulder, “yeah yeah Hasslehoff, bite me.” She grinned at the older hunter, showing she didn’t mean it. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean rolled his eyes and walked over. He stepped up to Lucifer and patted his shoulder. Claire frowned when he flinched but then Dean said, “he helped out quite a bit actually. Not sure we could have done it without him.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer watched the hunter carefully for any signs of condescension but was surprised to see only genuine gratitude. His gaze swept over the room and he found himself startled to find each person looking at him that way. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Claire held her hand out and said, “thank you. I know you’re supposed to be satan and all but you saved me. So thanks, you’re alright in my book.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer stared dumbfoundedly at the hand for a few moments before tentatively reaching forward to shake it. He mumbled, “you’re welcome,” without looking her in the eye. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The four made it back to the bunker shortly after that. They’d cleaned the room as much as possible, Sam cringing at the damage before sighing and letting it go. They’d made sure Claire was good to go and made her promise to call Jody. As the young hunter drove off, waving out the window with a shouted, “thank you,” the brothers shook their heads. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You think she’ll be okay?” Sam asked. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, I do. That girl’s got spunk,” Dean replied. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They turned to where Lucifer and Castiel were standing, waiting for the hunters to say their farewells. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam watched Lucifer for a moment before saying, “you good to get us home?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The archangel nodded and held out his arms for them to grab on. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He was too tired and overwhelmed to notice the man watching them as they all vanished. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“The girls apparently survived the cure.” Ketch was standing in the center of the mostly destroyed hotel room. “The Winchester’s and their pet angels did well. I’m starting to see how those winged rats may be useful.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Do they know it was you who fired at the girl?” Davies' voice came from over the phone. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I was able to drive away before the angels could stop me. And I was able to get a photo of our mystery angel just before they left. I’ll send it now.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I thought I told you to stand down, Ketch. What happened?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“The girl started changing. I was just following protocol,” Ketch said exasperatedly. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Davies hummed and clicked through his email. Ketch’s photo came through and he ran it through their database. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The two agents discussed Ketch’s next assignment for a few moments before Ketch heard Davies cuss and drop something. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” He questioned. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Ketch we have a problem. That angel is, in fact, an archangel. Lucifer seems to have slipped his cage.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A dangerous grin lit up Ketch’s face. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You gonna be alright for a bit?” Dean was leaning against Lucifer’s door frame. They’d arrived in the bunker and all four occupants had sagged in exhaustion once they’d arrived. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean and Castiel had walked Lucifer to his new room, leaving Sam to put away weapons and supplies. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer’s room was still askew and Castiel took a moment to straighten the bed and sheets out. The archangel was shifting nervously in the corner, watching his brother and the older hunter carefully. He looked haggard, blood drying on the shirts dean had given him, dark circles around his eyes. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll be fine. Thank you,” Lucifer said quickly, avoiding Dean’s eyes. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hmmm, well those clothes I gave you are looking a little done for, want me to get you some new stuff?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I can fix them, if you’ll allow me,” Lucifer asked. When Dean nodded, the archangel snapped his fingers and the clothes looked good as new. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Neat trick! Sure beats doing laundry,” Dean grinned. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer looked slightly startled at the friendly comment and, not knowing how to respond, simply nodded his head. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>By this time, Castiel had finished straightening the room. He approached Lucifer and touched his elbow slightly. At Lucifer’s flinch he pulled his hand back. “We will return later. Rest, brother.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean and Castiel left the room and Lucifer heard a lock snap into place from the outside. It was significantly less secure than the ongoing order to stay where they put him, but he supposed it probably made them feel a little better. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As soon as they left, the archangel sagged against the wall and slid down until he was sitting with his knees pulled up in front of him. He exhaled shakily and rested his head against his knees. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The last twelve hours or so had been taxing on the broken archangel’s mind. The stress and residual effects of the bond made him feel tired and sluggish. He glanced at the bed, but decided that if Sam came looking for him, he wanted to be easily seen, so he stayed in the corner across from the door. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer reached into his pocket and pulled the two bullets that had been shot at his chest. Some of his old curiosity flickered to life as he examined the silver pieces. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A devil's trap was carved into the flat end of the bullet, but that wasn’t new, he’d seen Sam and Dean use that trick recently. The bullet burned slightly in his hand, probably the holy oil scorching, though it was also blessed with holy water. The curious markings were on the side. Warding covered the bullet but upon closer inspection, he saw something that made him freeze. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“How did they…” he trailed off, murmuring to himself. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Somehow, this human who shot him had found a way to combine several sigils into a potent destructive force for all things supernatural, including angels and demons. He now knew for certain that the only reason he was alive was because he was an archangel. There were only two things on earth that could kill him. If this bullet had hit Castiel, there’s a good chance the younger angel would have died. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The devil shivered and tucked the bullets back in his pocket. For some reason, he found himself nervous for Castiel. Maybe it was the way his brother had protected him against Sam, or his unusual kindness towards the archangel in general. But regardless, next time one of his keepers came through the door, he’d show them what he’d found. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope y'all enjoyed!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. The Originals</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Several hours passed without word from the three permanent residents of the bunker. Lucifer had sat for a while in his spot on the floor, but when no one turned up, he eventually moved to the bed. He lay on his side, facing the door, and sighed deeply. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He twisted his neck to look over his shoulder at his ethereal wings. While they ached slightly, as they always did, the distinct, sharp pain in his right primary that he’d lived with for millennia was gone. He hadn’t had a chance to really think about it with the sudden trip to save the girl, but it was an absolute relief to have the wing set right. He’d lived with the pain for so long that he’d forgotten what it was like to move around without the sharp, radiating pain in his back. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer listened closely, and when he didn’t hear anyone in the hall, he shrugged his shirt off and brought his wings into the material plane. He heaved himself to his feet and made his way to the bathroom. There was a very small mirror, but he could see enough. The formerly glorious, pure white wings were scarred and blackened. Dried blood and dirt caked the wings, itchy and almost painful. The heavy chains that kept him from flying weighed him down in more ways than just physically. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The archangel stared past his reflection, to his true form hidden beneath the human skin. At one time, his Grace had burned so blue and pure, it was almost white. He’d been the most beautiful of the angels, after all. Now, it was dark and red, cracked and frayed. Lucifer’s jaw clenched the longer he stared. His eyes glowed a bright red behind his vessel’s visage. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He took in the entirety of his Grace. A thin, white thread surrounded him. It tangled around his left arm and traveled across his whole being, anchored in thousands of little places by runes carved into the human body, effectively tying his Grace down; Crowley’s ridiculous spell work. He had to stop himself from slamming his fist into the mirror. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He finally turned away and sat carefully on the bed once again. Slowly, he brought his wings around to his front as much as he could. When the strain on those damned rings became too much he stopped. As usual, he could only reach about half of his wings, though he could reach more of the primary right than he had in a long time. His hand came up and he gently stroked the few whole feathers he had, the last reminder of what they had once been. The chains had stopped any potential long-term healing that may have happened during his millennia in the Cage. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It horrified him that the hunters and his brother had seen his wings like this. He’d kept them hidden from everyone since his imprisonment. The only other being who had seen them was Michael, after they’d been trapped in the Cage together. Lucifer shuddered when he remembered Michael’s reaction.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>XXXXX</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>An almighty roar erupted from Michael, so loud that it rattled the entire depths of Hell. The four damned creatures had hit the bottom of the pit only a few moments before. Sam and Adam’s souls were warped by the impact, and it would take some time before they pulled themselves back together into something resembling a soul. That left Lucifer alone with his bitter, enraged, vengeful brother. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Michael turned to Lucifer, eyes blazing as he picked himself up from the bottom of the cage. In his heaven form, he was as beautiful as Lucifer remembered. His enormous, light gray wings flared menacingly behind him as he towered over Lucifer’s prone form. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The Devil was lying where he’d fallen, shaken by his defeat at the hands of mere humans, and paralyzed by terror at his brother’s wrath. He thought he’d escaped the Cage for good. He could already feel the walls closing in on him and the Earth fading away. Just a few minutes before, he’d been standing in the glorious sun, a light breeze on his skin, totally confident in his victory, if a little upset at his having to fight his brother. And now, said brother was glowering down at him, if possible, more wrathful than the first time he’d cast Lucifer into the pit. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>A giant wing swung down and slammed into Lucifer’s side, throwing him into the wall of the Cage. As his dislocated wing took the brunt of the hit, he screamed in pain and fear. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Worthless monster!” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Michael marched over to Lucifer and grabbed him by his throat. He turned him around and slammed him face first into the wall. “How could this happen? I was meant to finally kill you and now I’m here, with YOU!” He tossed Lucifer against the opposite wall. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The devil sank to the ground and trembled as his brother raged above him. As he stepped towards the devil again, Lucifer tried to move away, but Michael grabbed one of the chains tying his wings down. Lucifer cried out in pain again as the chains yanked violently at the wounds that had never truly healed. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>He pressed Lucifer into the ground and slammed a knee into his back, pinning him in place. He grabbed a handful of feathers and yanked them out, ignoring Lucifer’s pleading sobs to stop. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Look at these hideous abominations. Fitting for a creature like yourself. I don’t belong here with scum like you!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>He tossed the broken feathers, a few of the only whole ones Lucifer had left, and they floated to the ground in front of Lucifer. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“You’ll pay for this, brother. Dearly.” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>XXXXXXXXXX</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam and Dean had locked Lucifer back in his room a few hours before and had gone to take short naps before reconvening with Castiel. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The angel was agitated. He’d had time to think about everything that had happened before their rescue of Claire, and in truth, he was reeling. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer was an omega. His entire demeanor during his altercation with Sam proved it. Lucifer had hid his nature so well, it hadn’t even crossed Castiel’s mind as a possibility until he’d seen him bare his throat to Sam. The idea was baffling and Castiel was having a hard time resolving the new information in his mind. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He’d been very young when Lucifer fell; he could barely remember the archangel. But everyone, every single angel, had always talked about Lucifer as though he was an Alpha like his older brother. It was well known that Raphael was a beta, and Gabriel an omega, and Castiel had never questioned the information. The idea that Lucifer was an alpha had been further cemented in his mind during the first Apocalypse. Lucifer had commanded the demons with ruthless efficiency, and had displayed none of the behaviors and mannerisms typical to an omega. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But now that he could look back, he supposed it made sense. In the beginning, God would have created an Alpha and an Omega; two halves of a whole. Michael and Lucifer were the first two angels. How no one had seemed to realize, not even a rumor, was beyond Castiel. How could they have gotten the history so wrong?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He stopped pacing when a horrifying thought popped into his head. It was because Lucifer’s punishment would be seen as unjustly and needlessly cruel. The archangel’s had purposely twisted the information to further distance Lucifer from the other angels. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The dynamics and designations of the angels were complex, but in general, most angel’s were beta’s; Castiel himself was a beta. They were generally level headed and the most similar to humans (though no angel would admit it). Alpha’s made up about 5% of the heavenly host. They were the leaders, the commanders. They gave orders and expected submission from all, but would protect their family with everything they had. An omega or beta angel could submit to an alpha and expect fair treatment and protection for their loyalty and submission. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Omega’s were special. They only made up about 2% of all angels and were generally treated with great respect within Heaven. Omega’s were kind and genial. They could be relied upon to mediate conflicts, calm raging alpha’s, provide care, and bring the angel’s together as a family with their compassion and warmth. They were extremely affectionate, often needing physical contact with other angels and occasional reassurance from close family. Some angels in Heaven may look down upon omega’s, seeing them as weak and overly emotional, but Castiel knew that wasn’t true. They were the lifeblood of Heaven. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>An omega forced away from their family and away from physical contact could be driven mad. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel trembled as the full weight of Lucifer’s punishment hit him. If Lucifer was anything like his brother, the original Alpha, then his status as the original Omega would amplify his instincts exponentially. Michael had bound and degraded Lucifer, and then he’d thrown him into a solitary pit for millennia. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Familial bonds and closeness were almost a requirement for omega angels. Lucifer had been deprived of both. He’d been deprived for so long and then abused so thoroughly that he was now afraid of touch. He flinched every time one of the brothers, or Castiel himself reached out. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>How could their Father be so cruel? And for that matter, how much of the Devil’s rage and callousness was brought on by his time locked in the Cage? What was truly him and what was brought on by the insanity Castiel was sure he’d developed?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel stood in the middle of the library and felt sick. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>That was how Sam and Dean found him when they wandered into the library. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Both hunter’s hurried to the angel’s side. Dean placed a hand on Castiel’s shoulder and stooped down to catch his eye. The angel was staring vacantly at the floor and breathing heavier than normal. Dean looked at Sam with wide eyes, unsure how to proceed. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The younger hunter touched Castiel’s forearm gently and called his name. The angel seemed to snap back into awareness and his hand came up to grab Dean’s over his shoulder. He took a stuttering breath and said, “we need to talk.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Both hunters nodded at their friend and brought him over to one of the couches in the library. Dean sat next to him, arm slung over the back, and Sam brought a chair over, turning it around to straddle it. Castiel sat with his head in his hands for a moment, gathering his thoughts. Finally, he spoke. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I fear that the situation with Lucifer is much worse than I ever imagined. He is an omega. He is the original Omega.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam tilted his head in confusion and asked, “what does that mean, Cas?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The angel sat up and leaned back against the couch. Dean’s hand just brushed his hair from its position on the back of the couch. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s never come up because most angel’s are beta, and therefore most similar to humans. Alpha’s and omega’s generally stay in Heaven, so you’ve never had much contact with them. I never explained the dynamics because it’s never been important.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean asked curiously, “what are you, Cas?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I am a beta, as are most of the angel’s you have encountered. We all thought that Lucifer was an alpha. I have never even heard a rumor that he was anything but an alpha. I was so young when he was cast out, I barely remember him.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“So what does that actually mean, Cas?” Sam asked. “You keep saying these terms but the only context I’ve ever heard them in is in relation to wolves.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You would be most familiar with the designations in terms of animals. Humans do not have them. How do I explain this? Alpha’s are generally the leaders of the angel’s. Michael was heaven’s leader after God left and several other alpha’s served as his commanders. They are strong willed and forceful, though usually decent and protective. Beta’s like myself make up a majority of the angels, about 93% of them. We follow orders, listen to the alphas, and are much like humans, though many angels would hate to be compared to humans.” Castiel paused before continuing. “Omega’s are special though. There are only a few dozen of them in all of Heaven...” Castiel trailed off. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean glanced at Sam before saying, “and you didn’t know Lucifer was one until the deal with Sam right before we left?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel shook his head. “Correct. And, not only is he </span>
  <em>
    <span>an</span>
  </em>
  <span> omega, he is </span>
  <em>
    <span>the </span>
  </em>
  <span>Omega. The original Omega. I always believed that Gabriel was the original, but no one knew any of the archangel’s very well. Especially not after both Lucifer and Gabriel were gone.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean looked confused and asked, “why is that so significant?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel stood abruptly and started pacing back and forth, Sam and Dean’s head’s following his path. Just as Dean was about to speak again, Castiel said, “The two original’s supposedly have incredibly honed senses. They are especially attuned to their designation, or so the rumor goes. The only original I ever witnessed was Michael. If Lucifer is anything like him, I am greatly troubled by my Father’s decision to isolate him in the Cage.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam sucked in a breath, surprised at hearing Castiel’s concern for Lucifer’s time in the Cage and asked, “why would that trouble you? From what we’ve always heard, Lucifer deserved the cage. Right?” The hunter looked almost desperate. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel whipped around and looked Sam in the eye. “Omega’s are the ones that hold the angel’s together. They act as mediators, caretakers. They are especially attuned with their emotions so that they may better empathize with other angels. To leave an omega with no family, and no physical contact for longer than a few weeks would be a horrific punishment. As an original, the effects of this would be amplified for Lucifer. And Michael and Raphael hid the fact that he was an omega from the angels, in a bid to further alienate him from his family. That is what I believe anyway.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He let the statement hang in the air. The hunters thought over it, and the longer they thought, the more horrified they became. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean stood up angrily, “so you’re telling me that Chuck threw his omega son into solitary confinement and his brothers ensured that he was enemy number one to his entire family?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel nodded, looking pale. Both hunter’s looked shocked and uncomfortable. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean turned to Sam and said quietly, “Sammy, you remember that compound?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The younger hunter nodded and scrubbed his face. “It was awful. They kept us alone. We couldn’t stand it two months before we went to last resort. You’re telling me that Lucifer not only endured that for millennia, he’s also especially sensitive to stuff like that?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Unfortunately, yes,” Castiel confirmed. “Now that I know what he is, I am sickened. I can hardly believe he is not totally incoherent. I actually wondered how much of his current personality is actually him and how much of it is a result of his time in the Cage.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The angel was quiet for a few moments before he sucked in a startled breath, “of course. How could I have forgotten…”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What? What’d you forget, Cas?” Dean asked, standing up and moving next to the angel. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Samael…”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That was Lucifer’s original name, right?” Sam asked.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes. According to him. If it’s true, it confirms my suspicions. Samael was a very powerful omega angel. As the Angel of Death, he was known for his compassion and care in taking souls to the afterlife. I do not know that much about his history since he supposedly died millennia before I was even a fledgling. I will need to do more research, but I am now more inclined to believe that he and Samael are the same being.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The three stood in the library, unsure what to do with this new information. Castiel paced for a few more minutes before whirling around to face the brother’s and declaring, “I can not leave him alone any longer. I have to help him. Sam, Dean, I know this is asking a lot. I know what he has done to you, to humans, but I can not leave him now.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean held up his hand to stop the angel, “I understand, Cas. How can I help?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel shot Dean a grateful look before turning to gaze at Sam. the younger hunter looked troubled. He bit his lip before sighing and saying, “I get it, Cas. I said I’d try with him. This solidifies it for me. Honestly, there are some things I’m wondering about now. My time with him in the Cage is… fuzzy. I’ve been feeling almost like I’m missing something when I think about my time there and now I can’t help but wonder if it’s related. I still don’t trust him, but I’m willing to help however I can.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The angel looked between his two best friends, gratitude filling his heart and wondering at the ability of humans to forgive. “Thank you. For now, I believe removing the chains from his wings and re-acclimating him to contact in general are priorities. Would you both be okay if I brought him out of his room? I do not want him to be alone if I can help it.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean patted Castiel on the back and said, “of course not, Cas. Bring him up. It’d probably be good to ask him about some of this anyway.” He turned to Sam, “I’m going to make something to eat. Will you go with Cas to get Luce up here?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When Sam nodded, he and Castiel turned for Lucifer’s room. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They were totally unaware of the mess they were about to walk into. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The boys finally get some context! I hope everything make sense. I tried to explain it without being too explanatory, if that makes sense.</p>
<p>This story also has over 1,000 hits now, which is wild! Thank you to everyone who reads consistently :)</p>
<p>Any constructive feedback is always welcome, or just drop a note to let me know you're enjoying the story, they always make me smile.  </p>
<p>As always, stay safe out there. Love y'all!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Safety</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>When they knocked on his door, they didn’t hear anything. Sam called out, “hey Lucifer, can we come in? It’s Sam and Cas.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When no sound could be heard on the other side of the door after a few moments, Sam and Castiel shared a nervous glance. Sam pulled out the key to the door and opened it as fast as he could. The hunter and angel both gasped when they saw the state Lucifer was in. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He was sitting in the center of the floor, his wings materialized around him. The damage to the wings looked as horrific as before, more so now with the fresh blood dripping from them. Lucifer had his hands wrapped around a few of the feathers and he was staring vacantly in front of him. Tears fell down his face and his breaths came out as shuddering gasps. He was extremely pale. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam grasped his chest as he felt for their bond. Terrible sorrow and fear warred under the archangel’s surface. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel rushed forward and dropped to his knees in front of his brother. He reached out but stopped short of touching him. “Lucifer! Lucifer, you’re okay. We’re here to help. Brother, let me help you.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Slowly, the archangel raised his eyes to meet Castiel’s. He looked haunted. Carefully, he twisted his head up to look at Sam. When their eyes met, he shuddered slightly and curled in on himself, withdrawing further from them. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam came forward then as well, feeling Lucifer retreating through the bond. “Hey, hey, hey. Lucifer, stay with us. It’s okay, you’re safe now. What’s wrong? How can we help?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>At his unintentional order, Lucifer seemed to pull his awareness back carefully. Sam felt as he gathered his broken parts and tried to put them together into something resembling a whole piece, though he fell drastically short. Desperately, Sam pushed his sincerity through the bond. His genuine worry for the archangel seemed to do the trick and suddenly, Lucifer gasped and stared at Sam. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What…” the archangel murmured. He coughed and looked between Sam and Castiel. “What’s going on?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You were falling back into an omega-state, brother. It seems as though Sam was able to pull you back. What happened?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer jerked himself upright and pulled away from the two kneeling in front of him. He seemed to realize that his wings were on display and he quickly hid them, flushing red in apparent shame. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Nothing. It’s fine,” Lucifer said, unconvincingly. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam narrowed his eyes but then sighed, relaxing his body and face. He wasn’t going to force the issue. He stood quickly and moved back when he saw Lucifer flinch at his sudden move. “Sorry,” he murmured softly. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He went to stand by the door, giving Castiel and Lucifer some space. The angel was staring worriedly at Lucifer and reached out tentatively again, this time, placing his hand on Lucifer’s arm. The archangel twitched but surprisingly, didn’t pull away. They seemed to come to an understanding, Lucifer’s discomfort and panic fading through the bond. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The archangel sighed and said, “what did you need?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We uh… we thought you might want to get out of this room for a bit. Dean is making some food,” Sam said carefully. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer hummed and after a moment, pulled himself to his feet. Sam collected his discarded shirt and tossed it to him without remarking on it. Lucifer pulled it on and gestured at the door, “shall we…?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel nodded at Sam, so the hunter turned and exited the room, followed by Lucifer and then Castiel. They made their way down the hall, Sam doing his best not to look back at his companions. When they got to the library, they could smell Dean’s cooking from down the way and heard some music playing. They continued on and eventually found themselves in front of a strange sight. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean was standing at the stove, singing softly along to an AC/DC song that was playing from a stereo in the corner. A particularly catchy guitar solo started up and the three in the doorway stared incredulously as Dean started playing a particularly epic air guitar solo. He jammed for a moment and swung around on his feet, turning to the three. When he saw them, he stopped in his tracks. Sam’s eyes widened when he saw the apron tied around his brother, “Kiss the Cook” boldly emblazoned on the front. His face turned bright red at being caught.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>From behind him, Sam heard Lucifer snort, and then break into full blown laughter. Sam and Castiel both turned to stare at the devil in a full blown giggle fit. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>If possible, Dean became redder before finally shrugging and winking at them, finishing his guitar solo. As the song came to an end, the final verse of the song belted out theatrically by the hunter, Sam turned to find a small grin on Lucifer’s face and genuine amusement pulsing through the bond. It was a stark contrast to the volatile emotions he’d been feeling a few minutes ago. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>From the corner of his eye, Sam saw a small smile on Castiel’s face. He was gazing almost fondly at the older hunter. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Enjoy the show?” Dean called, a little red in embarrassment again. He scratched his neck uncomfortably before turning back to the stove. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam huffed a laugh and said, “with an air guitar like that, you should think about giving up hunting and going pro.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel looked confused and asked, “is playing this ‘air guitar’ a lucrative profession?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam and Dean looked at each other before breaking out into laughter. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” the angel asked. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Nevermind, Cas. What are you making Dean? It smells great,” Sam said. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“A personal favorite of the resident angel. I’m hoping him and his brother have similar pallets.” He slid his gaze to Lucifer. “You like burgers, hotshot?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer looked startled and took a moment to answer, “I don’t know. I’ve never had one.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean turned around fully, flabbergasted. “You’ve never had a burger!? Oh man, we need to rectify this right now. Cas, tell him!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The angel rolled his eyes at the hunter’s antics and said, “I have found hamburgers to be a delicious experience. Dean’s in particular.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The angel didn’t notice how the tips of Dean’s ears turned red, but Sam and Lucifer certainly did. The archangel raised an eyebrow at Sam and the younger hunter nodded subtly before turning to wander to the fridge. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span> “So Lucifer, I’m guessing you’ve never had a beer either?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Through the bond, Sam felt Lucifer’s confusion and wariness at the friendly banter. “No, I can’t say I have.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean spoke up again, “get him the good stuff in the back. If we’re gonna do this we’re gonna do it right!” He was pulling the burgers from the stove. He’d set Castiel on cutting up the onions and lettuce, the angel staring in great concentration at the cutting board. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam complied and pulled four beers from the fridge. He popped the tops off of each and by the time he turned around, Dean and Castiel had set the center table with the food buffet style, complete with condiments and plates. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer was standing awkwardly in the doorway. He seemed extremely uncomfortable so Sam walked over to him and said quietly, “it’s okay Lucifer, we wanted to say thank you for your help with Claire. Come sit.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The archangel stared at Sam for another moment before accepting one of the beers and moving to sit at the table. Dean brought over a, frankly, massive burger topped with everything. He set it in front of Lucifer with a wide grin. “Order up!” he said, cheekily. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel, Sam, and Dean all made their burgers and brought them to the table. Castiel slid in next to his brother, Sam sat across from Lucifer and Dean sat next to him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright, dig in,” Dean exclaimed and brought his burger to his face. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam shook his head at his brother’s eating habits and looked at Lucifer with a small smile. Gingerly, the archangel picked up his burger, mimicking the others. He sniffed at the burger for a moment before shrugging slightly and taking a generous bite. Everyone held their breath, waiting for his verdict. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He chewed and swallowed and finally said, with a note of surprise in his voice, “it’s good.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The other three around the table grinned and continued with their meal. The conversation was perhaps a bit more muted than it normally would have been, but overall, everyone seemed comfortable. Even Lucifer seemed content to sit and listen to the banter between Sam and Dean with the occasional comment from Castiel. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam couldn’t help but notice the surprised and content feeling coming from Lucifer. Wariness still lingered, but the bitter sorrow had been replaced by amusement, a feeling he’d had yet to feel from the archangel. Sam smiled softly. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>XXXXXXXXXX</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer found himself sitting in the bunker’s media room. Dean admitted that they had bought two second hand couches several years ago and put them in the room along with a coffee table and a huge TV. The hunter had puffed his chest proudly as he told the archangel about the TV’s specs, though Lucifer didn’t understand what he was talking about. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Regardless, the room was dim, but not dark. The couches were worn, but comfortable. Sam had tossed a fluffy blanket at him before sitting down on the opposite side of the couch, leaving a few feet between them. Castiel and Dean were sitting on opposite ends of the other couch, though that one was much smaller, leaving the older hunter and the angel sitting fairly close. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer marveled at the strange situation. Never in his life had he sat and watched a movie. Actually, on second thought, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d sat comfortably around another being. Certainly before the Cage. And never once had he thought he’d be somewhat comfortable around the Winchester’s and one of his brothers. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The world never ceases to amaze. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The hunter’s had made popcorn, despite the fact that they’d all just eaten, and had a cooler of beers sitting on the ground next to Dean. They tried to explain the basic plot of a show called </span>
  <em>
    <span>Game of Thrones</span>
  </em>
  <span>, though Lucifer was still thoroughly confused after their explanation. Castiel leaned towards him and whispered, “I do not really understand this show, but it is entertaining, as far as human standards are concerned.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean squawked at Castiel, “how could you say that, Cas? This show is one of the single greatest creations of mankind!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel shrugged, a decidedly human gesture Lucifer thought, and leaned back into the couch. Sam rolled his eyes and waved his brother off, finally reaching for the remote to start the show. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It took him a while, but Lucifer finally found himself relaxing back into the couch as well. He vaguely watched the show, but focused more on the strange feeling of contentment that came over him. He reflected on the fact that it had been a </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span> long time since he’d been this comfortable. Since he’d felt something more than anger, sorrow and hate; something positive. He felt, dare he think it, </span>
  <em>
    <span>safe</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was with this feeling in mind that he finally succumbed to his exhaustion and fell asleep. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This chapter came a week early! I just couldn't wait. It's a little short but I have the next chapter over halfway written so I figured I'd post this. We finally get a little bit of fluff. Poor Luci needed a break! I hope my attempt at humor came across well LOL. </p>
<p>I also wanted to tell you all that I've planned out the rest of this story and it's looking good! Probably about 25 chapters total. I'll keep trying to post every 2 weeks (or sooner). Thank you to everyone who has kept up with this so far! I love your comments; they are greatly appreciated!</p>
<p>Also, if you weren't aware, I do also have a 10k one shot filled with Lucifer angst if you haven't checked out my other work yet. I'd love to see what y'all think. </p>
<p>SPECIAL NOTE: I do have two other plot bunnies in the works and I'm interested in seeing if anyone would like to read them. I've written a fair portion of one and the other is just starting to form. I'll give you a hint - one features full shifters and A/B/O dynamics and the other is a pretty dark Avengers/Supernatural crossover. At least one (but probably both) with feature more Lucifer angst. Anyway, I'm just curious if anyone would be interested in reading those. I'd hate to spend a ton of time on them if there's no interest. </p>
<p>Thanks y'all! Love you!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Kelly and the Crimes of the Father</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Please see end note for a trigger warning</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Blood seeped across the dingy floor; it dripped sluggishly from the side of the tub. Kelly Kline lay in the bloody water with her eyes glazed over, not breathing. Suddenly, her body glowed gold and she took a huge breath of air, coughing roughly. She scrambled in the water, disoriented at her sudden breath of life. There was no way she should still be alive, she’s been so sure of it. The despair she felt at knowing the death and destruction her child would cause had driven her to do the unthinkable in an attempt to stop the child’s apparently inevitable future. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So why was she alive? She glanced desperately around for Dagon, wondering if the demon was responsible for her recovery. When she didn’t see the demon, she looked at her wrists, marveling at the smooth skin. She choked on a sob, overcome with emotion and pressed her hand across her mouth, trying to stifle the sobs.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>From inside her, she felt a warm sensation. Gasping, her hands fell to her swollen belly, feeling the life inside. The warmest feeling of love and protection overcame her, and suddenly she knew; her son was </span>
  <em>
    <span>good</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry baby. I’m so sorry. Thank you, thank you, thank you,” she frantically whispered to her unborn son. She stroked her stomach again and murmured, “oh Jack, I love you too.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>An answering pulse of pure love overcame her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>XXXXXXXXXX</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Dagon is holding her in the basement from what I can tell. Do you need back up?”</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam shook his head at the computer screen. Eileen was giving him the first news they’d had on Kelly Kline in over a month. The deaf hunter had opened a video chat with Sam a few minutes ago and told him that she’d finally located the Prince of Hell. Sam had called her, along with a few others, for help locating Kelly. His faith in Eileen had finally paid off. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, thank you, Eileen,” Sam spoke and signed at the same time. “We can take it from here. I really appreciate your help.”</span>
</p>
<p><span>Eileen smiled at Sam and signed, “</span><em><span>No problem. Good to see you, Sam.</span></em> <em><span>Let me know if something changes.</span></em><span>” </span></p>
<p>
  <span>“I will, thanks again,” Sam said, returning the smile. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When he logged off, the small smile stayed on his face for a moment and he took a deep breath before turning around. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jesus!” he exclaimed when he nearly bumped into Lucifer, who was hovering near his shoulder. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The archangel smirked and asked, “who was that?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It had been about two weeks since their rescue of Claire, and Lucifer had seemingly started to relax around the other occupants of the bunker. It had been a rough couple of days immediately following Claire’s rescue, but the dinner and movie night had seemed to accomplish the goal of getting Lucifer more comfortable around everyone. He was still frequently on edge, and flinched when one of them made a move near him too fast. He hated being in the dark, had nightmares, and seemed to want to be in the same room as someone else when given the opportunity. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That’s not to say that he didn’t often retreat to his room when he became overwhelmed, but overall, he seemed to crave the company of really anyone. Slowly but surely, they’d started to see a different side of the archangel. He was almost… personable. It turned out that Lucifer was quite interested in a variety of topics, everything from Dean’s taste in music, to translating runes and ancient languages with Sam. He and Castiel had spent a fair amount of time together as well, and while Sam wasn’t sure what went on when they were alone, the two angels seemed to be getting closer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam had been concerned about letting Lucifer walk around the bunker, but Dean and Castiel had convinced him that it would be okay. He had strict instructions to stay in the bunker, out of the storage rooms and the brother’s rooms, but otherwise could wander around the bunker as he pleased. It had gone well so far; he’d been a model occupant. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Really, it was a totally bizarre situation, but Sam figured that considering all the possible outcomes of the devil coming to live with them, this was one of the few good outcomes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer had started to become more familiar only in the last day or two, which was why Sam was startled at finding the archangel so close and smirking at him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No one,” Sam was quick to say. He winced, too quick. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hmmm… if I didn’t know better, I’d say it looks like you have a crush.” The devil’s smirk grew as Sam’s face flushed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>While Sam was happy that Lucifer was feeling more at ease around him, he couldn’t help but groan at the idea of another person nosing into his business. He had enough of that from Dean. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Whatever…” he muttered and side stepped Lucifer. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The archangel chuckled and followed Sam into the kitchen, where Dean and Castiel were sitting and chatting. Lucifer and Sam shared a look before the other two noticed. That was another unexpectedly good thing about Lucifer, Sam finally had another person to talk to about this </span>
  <em>
    <span>thing</span>
  </em>
  <span> between Dean and Castiel. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer had finally approached Sam the other day and asked bluntly if Dean and his brother were courting. Sam had been drinking hot coffee at the time and almost spilled the entire cup when he jerked in surprise. He’d taken one look at Lucifer’s serious face before bursting out laughing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The archangel looked wary until Sam finally calmed down enough to say, “thank Chuck! Finally, someone else sees it!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They’d spent the next hour or so secretly swapping stories and bonding over finding the other two clueless residents of the bunker together. In his excitement, Sam almost forgot that he was having a good time with Lucifer. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Since that conversation, Sam and Lucifer would share a knowing look any time they found Dean and Castiel together, which was a lot it turned out, now that they were paying attention to it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two in question looked up as Sam and Lucifer entered the kitchen and Dean asked, “what’s up, guys?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam glanced nervously at Lucifer and turned to him, “Lucifer, could you actually give us a moment?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The archangel looked a little nervous but when Sam didn’t look angry, he nodded and said, “I’ll be in my room.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When his footsteps faded, Sam turned back to the other two with a grave face. Dean and Castiel sat up straighter. “Eileen found Kelly and Dagon.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel stood up and asked tensely, “where?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Michigan. An abandoned warehouse. She’s pretty sure Dagon is keeping her in the basement.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Just as Castiel was about to speak up, Dean interjected, “and you’re worried about Lucifer?” He looked concerned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Honestly, yes. I mean, it’s his kid. And we know almost nothing about Nephilim besides the fact that one sired by an archangel is supposed to be stupidly powerful. What if Lucifer uses it to break free of his bond? Or to start another Apocalypse? I know he’s been good but I can’t help but worry.” Sam scrubbed his face and sat heavily at the table.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel placed his hand on Sam’s shoulder. “I understand your concern. If I am being honest, I have some of the same concerns. But I also believe that we should give Lucifer the benefit of the doubt until he proves himself otherwise. We should at least talk to him before we decide anything.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dean gave Castiel a funny look and asked, “you guys haven’t talked about it at all? You seem to have spent a lot of time together recently.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The angel shook his head. “We have not discussed anything of too much importance. I have mostly been attempting to make him more comfortable. I was hoping in time that a relationship would allow him to open up to me.” He sat at the table again and continued, “and we have spent a little bit of time looking at the chains on his wings. I have been looking into ways to get them off without hurting him further.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Any luck so far?” Sam asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not yet. But for now, I have at least been able to help him clean them of blood and dirt. I believe he is much more comfortable.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dean nodded along as Castiel spoke. “He does seem more at ease. Did that happen in the last few days?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel nodded and said, “yes, a few days ago he became comfortable enough with me to allow me to handle them.” He sighed deeply and rubbed his eyes, a sure sign of stress with him. “I still can not believe what they did to him. And I have many questions about the history I have been taught.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Everyone was quiet for a few minutes, each deep in their own thoughts. Finally, Dean clapped his hands together, startling Sam and Castiel. “Well, it sounds like we need to have a talk with Luce.” He stood up and left the kitchen throwing a, “I’ll be back in a second so don’t get too comfy ladies.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam sighed and shook his head at his brother’s comment, smirking briefly before his face settled into a nervous frown. Castiel looked more calm, but he was the person who’d spent the most time with the resident archangel up to this point. Sam took some comfort from feeling his bond with Lucifer. He had gotten a better handle on the bond, though they’d had yet to really test it, mostly because they didn’t want to stress Lucifer even more. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Right now, he could feel Lucifer’s nervousness, but there wasn’t any hostility or anger. He felt the moment Dean entered the room when the brief flash of fear passed through the bond. Sam wasn’t sure how to feel about the fear. On one hand, it was almost satisfying to know that the devil felt some modicum of what humanity had felt during his rampage a few years prior, but at the same time, especially with all their new information, he also felt sympathy. It was strange to say the least. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A few moments later, Dean and Lucifer walked into the kitchen. The archangel looked calm on the surface, but the emotions roiling under the surface were plain for Sam to feel. Carefully, he perched at the edge of a seat at the table and watched the other three. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, I’m assuming this was about the call Sam just had.” Blue eyes briefly flickered towards Sam before dropping to the table again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The younger hunter cleared his throat and said, “we know where Kelly Kline and Dagon are.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer flinched and subtly began to tremble. He clenched his fists and moved them to his lap, attempting to keep anyone from seeing his nervousness. “I see.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dean, Castiel, and Sam shared a look before Castiel said, “we wanted to talk to you about the situation. We have not had an opportunity to discuss it yet. Is that alright?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer nodded stiffly but refused to look up. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Not knowing how to start, Sam dove right in. “What were your intentions in creating a Nephilim?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The archangel shifted uncomfortably and didn’t answer, but Sam knew by now that he was collecting his thoughts and gave him a moment. “Honestly? Nothing except to give the old man a big middle finger. Siring a child is forbidden and I was so hurt when he left again, I didn’t even really think about it. Most of what happened came from rage at the situation. I was rash.” Here he looked up. “Please don’t kill him. I know he’s my son, but the crimes of the father should not result in punishment for the child… or for that woman,” he finished softly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam was almost shocked to hear his concern for Kelly. He’d thought the archangel wouldn’t care at all about her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer shook himself briefly and continued, now looking between the three of them. “I’ll do whatever you want. I know technically I have to anyway but whatever makes you feel okay about leaving them be, I won’t fight it, I swear.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>To everyone’s shock, Lucifer slid to his knees and bowed his head in front of Sam. “Whatever you need me to do, I promise I’ll do it. Please master.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam became supremely uncomfortable. Over the last few weeks, he’d grown increasingly distressed whenever Lucifer would regress and call him “master.” It just wasn’t natural and he hated it. “Lucifer, get up. You don’t need to do that. And please, don’t call me that. Sam is fine.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He reached out a hand and when Lucifer looked up, he hesitated just a moment before clutching the hunter’s hand. Sam pulled him to his feet and helped him sit once again in the chair. He was about to continue talking, but Dean cut him off. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Look, man, we believe you. And we know you can’t lie to Sam. So how about this, let’s go rescue Kelly from Dagon and then go from there.” He turned to look at Sam and Castiel, and both nodded in agreement. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam could feel Lucifer’s sincerity and relief through the bond, so while he was still nervous, it put his mind at ease for now. He asked, “what’s the plan?”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Trigger warning for canon compliant suicide attempt by Kelly. Fairly non-graphic and short right at the top of the chapter. </p>
<p>Hey all! Thank you for your patience, I know this chapter is a little late. It was fighting me tooth and nail and I'm not overly happy with it but I decided to go ahead and post it, I didn't want to keep putting it off. I hope you like it!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Confrontation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Dagon is a prince of Hell. You’ve met Azazel and you’ve also met Ramiel from what I hear. Though ‘met’ may not be the right word considering they’re both dead,” Lucifer said almost bitterly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Princes of Hell, while vile demons, were still some of his first creations. He hadn’t interacted with any of them but Azazel in a long time, outside of his recent contact with Dagon. But the death of two of his four knights stung slightly, still. Realistically, he knew they’d probably have to kill Dagon as well. He didn’t necessarily care for the Princes’, but it was unfortunate that they were slowly being picked off. Especially considering that bastard Asmodeus was looking like he was the last one. He should probably warn the Winchester’s about him at some point, but the time wasn’t now. Now was the time to focus on Dagon and Kelly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He shook himself and continued, “I had Dagon pick Kelly up when I was first caught by…” He choked on the demon’s name. He hated that he was still so affected, but he couldn’t shake the fear. He twisted his neck to the side and continued, “anyway, the last time I talked to her, she said Kelly’s pregnancy was progressing rapidly. That was about 6 weeks ago.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam was sitting across from him. The hunter had been surprisingly lenient in the last few weeks, and Lucifer thought, amazingly, that he </span>
  <em>
    <span>might </span>
  </em>
  <span>just be starting to trust that the younger Winchester wasn’t out to get him.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dean had been a little cold at times, especially at first, but from what he could gather, that wasn’t totally out of character. Otherwise he was very cordial with Lucifer, even going as far as to show him his favorite music and TV shows. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel had been another surprise. The beta angel had deliberately gone out of his way to interact with him. The first time he’d shown up unannounced to Lucifer's room, he’d been wary, but the angel had merely sat at the chair in Lucifer’s room while the archangel had perched nervously at the end of his bed. They’d talked about Castiel’s experience with the Winchester’s; he thought it was in an effort to show him that the hunter’s weren’t bad people. But since then, they’d interacted quite a bit, exchanging stories and experiences. Most of Lucifer’s were from before his fall, from when he’d been Samael. Castiel had been fascinated and had, in exchange, informed Lucifer of all the happenings in Heaven since he’d ‘left.’ A few days ago, he’d finally caved and allowed the younger angel to help him with his wings. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The experience had been… unexpected. He’d been justifiably nervous and had flinched at every touch Castiel made for the first few minutes. But the almost immediate soothing effect of having his wings handled so delicately quickly calmed him down. Damn his nature. It had taken hours of careful grooming, and many basins of water, to get all the blood, dirt, and dead feathers out of his wings. They were still ugly, in his opinion, but they didn’t itch anymore. It had been such a relief to have them really and truly clean for the first time that despite the chains wrapped around and through them, he’d almost cried in relief. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Actually, when Castiel left, he had cried. All the unresolved emotions he’d been carrying had come up all at once and he’d been helpless to the sudden wave of emotion. Lucifer ruffled his wings unconsciously at the memory. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was shaken out of his contemplation when Sam said, “so, what’s the best way to handle this? Can we sneak Kelly out or will there be a confrontation?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dagon is very strong and quite perceptive. Considering I asked her to watch Kelly carefully, it will be next to impossible to get in there without her knowing about it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dean spoke up before Sam could respond, “so guns blazing it is. We have the Colt. It worked on Azazel, it should work on Dagon.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer was silent, knowing that the hunters would ask for his input if they wanted it. In the meantime, he didn’t particularly want to engage in the assasination plans of his Prince. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Almost as though he could sense Lucifer’s reluctance, Castiel said, “is there any way we can do this without killing Dagon?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam turned back to Lucifer and stared at him for a moment. “Something you want to say Lucifer?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The archangel knew Sam probably sensed his hesitance through their bond and so answered honestly, “not really. I thought you’d probably have to kill Dagon. Hell, you’d probably just kill her because she’s a Prince. But I have to admit that it stings a little. They were some of my first creations.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam continued to regard Lucifer, a surprised look on his face. He finally said, almost softly, “sorry Lucifer. But you’re right, she’s a Prince of Hell and so far, they’ve all caused major problems so it’s probably best to take her out as a player now anyway.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer nodded, expecting the answer, though not the sympathy. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dean spoke up, “do you think she’d just hand her over if you asked?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer hummed, thinking it over and shaking his head. “Probably not. She will be able to tell fairly quickly that I am bound and will assume that her orders before my confinement stand. She will expect me to eventually break free of this.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam leveled a stare at him, “can you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer felt the bond pulling at him to answer truthfully, though honestly, he didn’t find himself hesitant to do so anyway. “No. The only way I can be free of this is if you willingly and freely choose to release me or turn me over to a new master. I’ve tried to break free and I can’t,” he said with a small grimace, remembering the pain of trying early on. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam nodded and turned his head back to his brother, who said, “I say we go in, take Dagon out with the Colt, grab Kelly and high tail it out of there before any more demons or angels get word of what’s happening.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They all looked at each other, waiting for someone else to come up with a better plan. But with no other real information, it seemed as though they’d have to go in blind and fight.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So that settles it,” Dean said, clapping his hands together, “meet in the garage in 10?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’d like to drive instead of teleport?” Lucifer asked, surprised. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s been a while since Baby’s seen the open road. It’s not far from here and Kelly’s been okay up to this point. And besides, no offense, but I’m not a fan of the mystical mumbo-jumbo,” Dean chuckled as he walked off. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>XXXXXXXXXX</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two hunters and two angels were about a block from the abandoned warehouse. It’d taken them the rest of the day to drive to Michigan, both angels sitting quietly in the back. They’d spoken in Enochian a few times and Sam did his best to translate it in his mind, even going so far as to add comments of his own when he could follow the conversation. It wasn’t often they got to practice their Enochian around two native speakers. Surprisingly, Lucifer had been helpful, correcting his pronunciation a few times and teaching him a few new words. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now, they were scoping out the warehouse. As far as they could tell, no other demons were around. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can feel Dagon, and the child,” Lucifer murmured. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel nodded in confirmation. “Dagon is on the ground floor, and Kelly seems to be underground. How would you like to proceed?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dean tucked the Colt in his waistband and said, “Cas and I can go in the front as a distraction. Lucifer and Sam, see if you can get around to the basement and pull her out. Teleport her away from here and we can meet up later after we’ve taken care of Dagon.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Everyone nodded and they split up, Dean and Cas heading for the front door and Sam and Lucifer heading around back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They quickly came upon a window near the ground that seemed to lead into the basement. They crouched down and peered inside. It was too dark for Sam to see so he asked, “can you see anything?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer’s eyes glowed red for a moment. “Yes, I see her. She’s chained to a bed.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can you get us in there?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Instead of answering, Lucifer grabbed Sam’s arm and teleported them in front of Kelly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The woman squeaked in surprise and tried to sit up, but her swollen belly didn’t allow her much easy movement. She was staring in shock between Sam and Lucifer. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sam!?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey Kelly, we’re here to get you out of here,” he said, grinning. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She looked at Lucifer. “Who’s that? Another angel?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam glanced at Lucifer, but before he could answer, a golden light enveloped Kelly and shot out at Lucifer. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The archangel shouted in pain as he slammed back against the wall. He crumpled to the ground and groaned. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Lucifer! Are you okay?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s… that’s Lucifer?” Kelly asked warily. “What are you doing with him? I thought he was back in Hell?” She clutched her midsection and tensed up. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Seeing Lucifer slowly climb to his feet, Sam turned back to Kelly. “It’s okay, he’s with us now. I’ll explain later but for now, we need to get out of here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She looked suspiciously at Sam, “he’s controlling you isn’t he? There’s no way you’d work with him!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Actually,” Lucifer said gruffly, gripping the wall, “it’s quite the opposite. I mean you no harm. Sam has control of me. You have no need to fear me.” He coughed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You okay?” Sam asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, the kid just packs quite a punch.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What happened?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s protecting her. Against me.” Lucifer looked almost sad, and upon examination of the bond, he was surprised to feel genuine sadness from the archangel. Not even anger, just disappointment and resignation. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>From upstairs, they heard shouts and gunshots, followed by a painful scream. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam looked up the stairs with a worried gaze and shouted above the commotion, “time to go!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He helped Kelly to her feet but saw that she was chained to the bed by her ankle. “Lucifer, take care of that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The archangel warily approached her, hands out in a universal ‘I mean no harm’ sign. When the light didn’t appear again, he crouched near Kelly’s feet and pulled the chains apart with his bare hands. Kelly gasped at the show of strength and flinched slightly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lucifer reached for Sam and went to teleport them when he was blasted back by a different force. He slammed back into the wall and fell on his stomach, not moving this time. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam whipped around and came face to face with Arthur Ketch. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I see you’ve been cozying up to the enemy Samuel.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam pushed Kelly behind him and backed slowly towards the fallen archangel, who was finally starting to move with a groan. “What are the British Men of Letters doing here, Ketch?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We got word that the spawn was here. Oh, and to test this,” he said, holding a strange looking gun towards Lucifer. He pressed the trigger before Sam could blink and shot Lucifer again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The archangel </span>
  <em>
    <span>screamed</span>
  </em>
  <span> as a red light blasted him again. He writhed on the ground until the light faded, leaving him a trembling mess. Sam was shocked to see him smoking slightly and gasped when he felt a shadow of the pain Lucifer was in. His shirt had been burned away and a good portion of his back was blistering and red, charred from the blast. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam immediately stepped in front of Lucifer, protecting him from Ketch. “What the hell is that?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This is a new weapon developed by the Men of Letters. I’d say the field test against angels has been quite successful. Castiel didn’t seem to enjoy it either,” the british agent smirked evilly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kelly had crouched next to Lucifer and was holding her hands up as though she wanted to touch him but was afraid. The archangel was struggling to his hands and knees, panting heavily through his pain. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As Ketch took a step forward, Sam took a swing at him. The agent side stepped and entered hand-to-hand combat with the hunter. They were decently matched, neither gaining the upper hand until Ketch got a well placed jab into Sam’s side. The hunter flinched, allowing Ketch to kick his legs out and send him to the ground. The breath was knocked out of him when he landed, but he kept rolling, avoiding a vicious kick from the british man. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kelly was suddenly there, pushing at Ketch from behind, trying to distract him. The man threw her to the ground without care and said, “I’ll deal with you later, whore.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sam!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The hunter heard Lucifer from behind him. He could feel Lucifer’s anger through their bond and understood. “Stop him.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The basement filled with an eerie red glow and the furious archangel launched himself at Ketch, ignoring his pain in favor of helping Sam and Kelly. Power surged through their bond as the archangel accessed his Grace to attack the british man. He used a Grace-fueled punch to knock the man all the way back towards the stairs. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ketch crumbled but as Lucifer took a step towards him, he reached into his jacket and pulled out what looked like a grenade. Sam shouted “get down!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ketch threw it to the center of the room and took off as it landed. Sam watched in horror, feeling as though they were all about to be blasted away when suddenly, the room filled with a golden glow. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was almost blinding and he had to turn away. After a few moments, it faded. The grenade was nowhere to be seen. Kelly was sprawled on the floor, Lucifer next to her with an arm thrown over her as if he’d been trying to protect her. The glow was fading from around her. The Nephilim had apparently saved them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam rolled to his side and pushed himself up. He crawled to Kelly and Lucifer, feeling for a pulse from Kelly. He could feel that Lucifer was alive but unconscious. When he determined that Kelly was alive and looked okay, he lurched to his feet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He stood panting for a moment and realized with horror that everything was quiet. Too quiet. What the hell happened to Dean and Cas?</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>New Chapter! Woohoo! Thank you to everyone who has commented and bookmarked and given this work kudos! </p>
<p>This work is progressing towards the end slowly but surly and I thank you for your patience with new chapter uploads in the mean time. </p>
<p>Next chapter, I'm excited to explore the interaction between Kelly and Lucifer; I would have loved to see it more in the show. Obviously, Lucifer is pretty different in this work but it still stands that I'm excited to write about it. It was actually one of the foundational ideas for this work in the beginning. </p>
<p>Anyway, I hope y'all enjoyed this! See you soon! Love y'all!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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